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HISTORY OF PHYSICAL ASTRONOMY.

Capella, as well as several other stars of the first magnitude, were visible.The citizens of Venice remarked, with respect to a steamboat which waspassing on the Lagunes, during the totality of the eclipse, that the columnof smoke which usually issues from the funnel was no longer visible. Thesparks of flame which the column draws along with it, appeared in conse-quence to be isolated, and produced a very beautiful effect *.

The appearance presented by surrounding objects during the eclipse wasvery remarkable. M. Lentheric has stated that, at Montpellier , a littlebefore the commencement of the totality of the eclipse, the light hadacquired a livid and ashy tint, imparting to the human countenance anaspect which was painful to contemplate. MM. Pinaud and Boisgirardremarked that at Narbonne , as the eclipse advanced, the obscurityassumed a character quite peculiar. It had a wan and livid hue,a shade of greyish olive, which seemed to throw over nature a veil ofmourning. At Lodi the aspect of the heavens, according to Sig. Piola,was very striking. There were seen two reddish zones extending alongthe horizon, one in the southern and the other in the northern region ofthe heavens. They were of a dull copper colour, totally different fromthe ruddy hue of the aurora or the twilight. The rest of the heavenspassed without any degradation to a dark azure inclining to violet. Itslight reflected by the waters of the Po and the Lake of Lecca imparted tothem an aspect which inspired terror. At Lipesk the heavens appearedof a greyish violet. The stars Aldebaran and a. Orionis, which areusually red, appeared quite white. It was remarked by all observers, thatthe spectacle presented during the totality of the eclipse was of a veryappalling nature.

A great number of interesting facts were noticed respecting the effectsproduced upon animals, by the sudden transition from day to night. M.Arago states, that in many instances, horses and other animals employedin labour, halted all at once when the eclipse became total, lay down, andobstinately refused to move in spite of whip or spur. At Montpellier ,according to M. Lentheric, the bats, thinking that night was come, lefttheir retreats. An owl was seen to leave the tower of St. Peter and flyover a part of the town; the swallows disappeared; the fowls went toroost; a herd of cattle feeding ill a field, formed themselves into a circle,their heads directed outwards, as if to resist an attack. At Venice swal-lows were caught in the streets, the terror with which they were seized,having taken from them the power of flight. On the other hand, M.Arago states it to be a well-ascertained fact, that the horses employedin the diligences continued to pursue their courses, without seeming to bein the slightest degree affected by the phenomenon.

The effect of the obscurity upon those plants which usually close uptheir leaves during night, w’as very apparent. At Prades in Trance, atMilan, and at Vienna, it was found that several plants had closed upduring the totality of the eclipse.

With respect to the variation of the thermometer during the eclipse,M. Arago remarks that it was not so considerable as might have beensupposed from the impression of cold upon the hands and face. AtPerpignan a thermometer, placed in the shade, descended 3° on the cen-tigrade scale. With respect to the thermometers exposed to the directaction of the solar rays, the variation, of course, was much greater. Athermometer with a black bulb, contained in a globe of glass, from which* Giomale dell’ Istituto, del Lombardo, tom. iv., p. 310.