tle of its agreeable scent about it, smelt strongly during the
totality."

In the insect world ants have been noticed to go on working during
totality, whilst grasshoppers are stilled by the darkness, and
earth-worms come to the surface. Birds of all kinds seem always upset in
their habits, almost invariably going to roost as the darkness becomes
intensified before totality. In 1868 "a small cock which had beforehand
been actively employed in grubbing about in the sand went to sleep with
his head under his wing and slept for about 10 minutes, and on waking
uttered an expression of surprise, but did not crow." In 1869 mention is
made of an unruly cow "accustomed to jump into a corn-field at night"
being found to have trespassed into the said corn-field during the total
phase.

The thrilling descriptions of the effects of the oncoming darkness of
totality, derived from the records of past total eclipses, are not
likely to be improved upon in the future, for we shall receive them more
and more from amateurs and less and less from astronomical experts.
Every additional total eclipse which happens testifies to the fact that
the time and thoughts of these latter classes of people will be to an
increasing degree dedicated to instrumental work rather than to simple
naked eye or even telescopic observation. The spectroscope and the
camera are steadily ousting the simple telescope of every sort and
unassisted eye observations from solar eclipse work.

Mrs. Todd has the following apt remarks by way of summary of the results
to an individual of observing a total eclipse of the Sun:--"I doubt if
the effect of witnessing a total eclipse ever quite passes away. The
impression is singularly vivid and quieting for days, and can never be
wholly lost. A startling nearness to the gigantic forces of Nature and
their inconceivable operation seems to have been established.
Personalities and towns and cities, and hates and jealousies, and even
mundane hopes, grow very small and very far away."

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 13: _Month. Not._, R.A.S., vol. xviii. p. 251.]

[Footnote 14: See p. 36 (_ante_).]

[Footnote 15: Mrs. D. P. Todd, _Total Eclipses of the Sun_, p. 21.]

CHAPTER VI.

WHAT IS OBSERVED DURING THE TOTAL PHASE OF AN ECLIPSE OF THE SUN.

The central feature of every total eclipse of the Sun is undoubtedly the
Corona[16] and the phenomena connected with it; but immediat