amed, as it
were, in a pointed arch of coronal light, the symmetrical arrangement of
which with regard to it was obviously significant. Both its unspringing
shape, and the violet rays of calcium strongly emitted by it,
contradicted the supposition that "white prominences" represent a
downrush of refrigerated materials.

The corona of 1886, as photographed by Dr. Schuster and Mr. Maunder,
showed neither the petals and plumes of 1871, nor the streamers of 1878.
It might be called of a transition type.[561] Wide polar rifts were
filled in with tufted radiations, and bounded on either side by
irregularly disposed, compound luminous masses. In the south-western
quadrant, a triangular ray, conspicuous to the naked eye, represented,
Mr. W. H. Pickering thought, the projection of a huge, hollow cone.[562]
Branched and recurving jets were curiously associated with it. The
intrinsic photographic brightness of the corona proved, from Pickering's
measures, to be about 1/54 that of the average surface of the full moon.

The Russian eclipse of August 19, 1887, can only be remembered as a
disastrous failure. Much was expected of it. The shadow-path ran
overland from Leipsic to the Japanese sea, so that the solar
appurtenances would, it was hoped, be disclosed to observers echeloned
along a line of 6,000 miles. But the incalculable element of weather
rendered all forecasts nugatory. The clouds never parted, during the
critical three minutes, over Central Russia, where many parties were
stationed, and Professor D. P. Todd was equally unfortunate in Japan.
Some good photographs were, nevertheless, secured by Professor Arai,
Director of the Tokio Observatory, as well as by MM. Belopolsky and
Glasenapp at Petrovsk and Jurjevitch respectively. They showed a corona
of simpler form than that of the year before, but not yet of the
pronounced type first associated by Mr. Ranyard with the lowest stage of
solar activity.

The genuineness of the association was ratified by the duplicate
spectacle of the next-ensuing minimum year. Two total eclipses of the
sun distinguished 1889. The first took place on New Year's Day, when a
narrow shadow-path crossed California, allowing less than two minutes
for the numerous experiments prompted by the varied nature of modern
methods of research. American astronomers availed themselves of the
occasion to the full. The heavens were propitious. Photographic records
were obtained in unprecedented abundance, and