TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 
19 
ire now preparing for publication in the Professional Papers of the Corps of En- 
cmrcra, and are, in fact, going through the press; but Lieut.-Col. Portlock thought 
' desirable to make known to the Section these first labours of a most talented young 
officer, who has been already appointed to the responsible post of Master of the 
Australian Mint. He was first recommended by Major-Gen. Lewis as a person 
highly fitted to conduct the electrical experiments, and commenced them under Ins 
erection at Portsmouth; but he soon passed far beyond the simple experiments 
'nen projected, and has rendered his resear ches not only valuable as a scientific work, 
ut important as an example of assiduous study and careful experiment to his brother 
officers. 
Astronomy. 
AW Observations on Solar Spots and Fatcidce, and their true Causes. 
Ihj M. Chacornac, ( Communicated hy the Abbe Moigno.) 
M - -hacornac considers the solid body of the suu to be surrounded with a 
• Jii.nous envelope extending to a short distance, as well as by nu atmosphere which 
* 'Otn parts, or those next to the luminous envelope and body of the sun, is very 
! detached clouds or other bodies floating in this atmosphere when they are 
- 'i enough to float outside and bevond the luminous envelope, constitute spots, and 
shown to be capable of exhibiting all their usual phenomena ; while those 
"c are dense enough to descend into the luminous atmosphere constituted uecuIec ; 
Jse 0Wer •till were hidden from view by the brilliancy of the luminous envelope. 
On Metenrolites and Asteroids. By Mr. Greg. 
trrmight forward some circumstances in connexion with those bodies, not 
AfhJJ' JQtawUn favour of the theory that they are identical in nature and origin. 
Mr f - 80raL " ar g ur ncnts against thetheory of the atmospheric origin of aerolites, 
"•urirf nr 0( .p„.i„, . ._.... , - 1 ..... i „k»ainp,I m ana- 
n hll,. ; September, 17 ; Uctober, 14; «ovemwwi‘»> ~~~ 
unportant thbf 89 * S‘ v ' n 8 Rn average of 16*0 for each month. The mo 
thoember ^ 0 n °^ lce is the small number of aerolites registered for the moot _ 
krc.tr twt. .n a . n,lar y' anf l the comparatively large number for June and July , 
! >ut 19 'Stances of falls, the latter two 37, or almost double. 
li*vintr Ik'f !7 eso Rorolites, or meteorolites, belong to the system of the Aste- 
ct *taialv jL2? t v? Wrtf0 » w bose mean distance is superior to the earth s orbit, it 
' ' her »3!5 nab ? fc0 co °clude thut it is when the earth i» furthest from the sun, 
' f| * 1 would reuM lbat tlu ' meeting with aerolites is rendered most probable. This is 
'' 1 lju 'imuv ..n t0 l ' e tiie case, for the earth is at her greatest distance from 
" Months shnn„ ? s ' d(!8 of the summer solstice, t. e. in June and July, precis y 
: * >Q1 E "*mber e moat abundant in aerolites. Mr. Greg then referred to a 
' : v-. M , v Loril ptos Rend us,’ in which there is a paper by Le Veirier on th 
‘f " r -t»ry‘i)iamff Ve *'" e 1 r shows by calculation that the sum of the mass of the 
^ also Eft ? C , all u d steroids cannot exceed one-fourth of the earth s mass 
.^".oeatly J,K* ble llmt their mean mass or system is at its perihelion, and 
-" thaearth, at the time when the earth herself is on the side of 
* i tits would appear again confirmatory of the theory' 
b -- wo uld appear to be also 
1 1 ar e the . wuum appear again confirm, 
7/fti ““Wfcr* or the asteroids. There .. -. . , .. 
*- Uteroidg ha v °^^ ol ano, her kind. It has been supposed that some ofui^ 
, Dl,l joritv of (7° lrre S u 'ar and angular surfaces, which is precisely the case wi 
specific J?*s2 r ete ? ric 8fa »e* which fall to die earth. Again, taking the 
•^idonce ° f ReroUtes at 3-0 (they vary from 17 to S'9), further in- 
Rfforded as to their position wi'th regard to distance from the sun, 
2 * 
