The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-10 00:00:00

MARCH 15.

14. At the breaking up of the annulus, look for
Baily's beads as before.
15. Do not attempt any record during or near
the annularity, Endeavour to impress observations
on your memory as well as you can. If you have
an assistant seated at your table with a chrono-
meter and writing materials, you may give him
signals for the register of time, but you must con-
nect the phenomena with the time afterwards.
16. A good sextant observer may obtain valuable
observations for correction of the lunar tables, by
measuring the intervals between the points of the
bright cusps. The observations will require great
nerve, and will be difficult, but where most diffi-
cult they will be most valuable.
17. It seems doubtful whether any valid photo-
graphic record can be made, on account of the ex-
treme rapidity of the change of appearances. Thus,
in the neighbourhood of Loudon the line of cusps
will change from the vertical to the horizontal posi-
tion in about three minutes of time.
18. If you have a doubly refracting prism it will
be desirable to make observations on the polarisa-
tion of the light from the sun's limb. For this pur-
pose when the lune is narrow, place the prism so
tosa : separate the two images transversely to the
limb, and remark which image is brighter. Turn
the prism 180 deg. round the visual ray, and re-
peat the observation. Remark carefully the posi-
tions of the prism. The prism mv be used with
the naked eye er with the telescope, according to
the amount of its angular separation of images,
111. —METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.
19. Fur change in intensity of solar radiation,
observations with the actinemeter or the black bulb
thermometer should be kept up during the eclipse.
The latter are most trustworthy when the bulb is
inclosed in an exhausted glass sphere.
20. The barometer should be repeatedly observed.
21. The thermometer should be frequently ob-
served, and the general feelings of cold should be I
noted.

22. Observations of humidity are very impor-
tant. They should be made by the use either of
Daniell's dew-point instrument or of the wet-bulb
kl-

fiermometer.

March 8.

G. B. AIRY.

THE SPY SYSTEM IN PARIS.

The following is from a letter published in the
Glasgow Daily Mail of Monday :
" Sir,—May I ask the publicity of your columns
for a brief account of some incidents which have
happened in Paris, where I have been residing for
nearly seven years t
"I was sauntering yesterday afternoon with a
friend in the Champs Elysees. The aspect of this
noble promenade was sadly changed. The benches
upon which the Parisians usually sit in the sun were
all deserted. Loungers of all nations make the
Champs Elysees ordinarily a sort of living and mov-
ing ethnological museum ; but yesterday the most
notable figures were a number of new and sinister
faces, some of whom might have been taken for
miserable, and some of them for genteel beggars.
I observed them trying to overhear the conversa-
tion of myself and my friend, which happened to be
only about the French taste in horses and equip-
ages. Looking at a shabby little individual, I said
to my friend, but not loud en Yugh to be heard,

That is a spy ;' and my friend exclaimed, What
a v.llanous face !' While we were looking at him,
he came up to me, and addressing me in Italian,
obsequiously begged a few oboli,' •r small
coins. Turning to my friend, I said in French, ' I
believe he is a beggar.' When I put my hand to
my pocket to give him an alms, the spy seized me
by the left arm, and told me that I was an Italian,
and he was an ' In.spettore.' I said, 'So I thought.'
Ile told me he desired a little conversation with
me, and that I must go with him to the commissary
of police. My friend, believing I was talking with
a beggar, was looking at the carriages, when I
called out to bim, lam arrested !' The inspector
said my friend must come as well. On our way to
the office of the commissary, the excited little in-
spector told me I spoke Italian, and was an Italian,
and that it was useless for me to deny it. The
inspector then commenced a formal interrogation.
' What is your name?' I gave him my card. 6 You
are an Italian. You understand Italian. What
are you doing in Paris ?' 6 I will ans wer that ques-
tion to Monsieur the Commissary.' Ah ! well, you
refuse to tell what you are Seeing me arrested,
and held by the arm, several elderly gentlemen and
ladies darted at me looks of terror and horror.
Iu the office of the commissary the inspector said he
could not believe my card, because myself and my
friend were walking with an air suspect,' or in a
suspicious manner. Moreover, I knew he belonged
to the police. This correct guess seemed to have
given him great offence. Now, to avoid detecting
spies is difficult, for they disp'ay what they are by
the insolent gleams of conscious power always dart-
ing from their eyes. The secretary of the commis-
sary, fortunately for me, answered he was sure, and
would answer for it, that I was not an Italian, but
an Englishman long resident in the neighbourhood ;
but he turned to my friend, and said, And you,
sir, of what nation are you 1' The suddenness of
the question taking my friend aback, I was obliged
to answer fur Monsieur is a Russian.' The
inspector then said to me, I beg pardon.' Look-
imn ga
nayt
rhaizls about,atead youfastly,loeanaindo,t b
'Oe
tooh! zealous'therear.e so
" Luckily
Was well
bkuntoawnit and
for me this incident happened where I
suffered some cla
Italian, but
niehtaYeauf's my companion was not an
imprisonment,
lan ; o'herwise I should have
and my daughter
12a.niecto mistook ag°nY, just becauso a French
"a• ir"u ecnispilatee Bec)toll Highlander for an
.7,

ROBB/MUM oiff.aiiiswiiJitN-Tmi:r:'-.:Wnila the family
of the Rev. F. Yonder, Bt. Clilees rowd, Oxford, were at
church, on Sunday last, Some. persona broke into the
house and stole a quantity of silver spoons, forha, jewel-
limy, and articles ofl vablueeen,
tAo egnr raot mq rat otorttre
and jiwell.ery
also been
StOUthridge. •
S'ril ger, Jewelhlaesr,

The following suggestions for observation of the
eclipse are not offered as by any means complete,
but as presenting grounds for consideration which
may tend to direct observers in deciding on the
employment of the means which they may possess
1.-OBSERVATIONS NOT REQUIRING INSTRUMENTS.
1. As the eclipse advances, it is desirable to ob-
tain some notion or measure of the degree of dark-
ness.

2. At what distance from the eye can a book or
paper, exhibiting type of different sizes, be read ?
3. Hold up a lighted candle nearly between the
sun and your eye. At how many sun-breadths' dis-
tance from the sun can the flame be seen ?
4. If you are in an elevated position, remark the
changes of colour and appearance of the surround-
ing objects in the landscape?
5. If you see spots of light formed by the inter-
secting shadows of the boughs of trees, remark whe-
ther they exhibit the luneform of the sun.
6. When the annulus is formed, you will
probably observe it with a darkened glass ; but you
are particularly requested to devote one instant (as
early as possible) to the verification of this point—
namely, When the annular sun is viewed with the
naked eye, does it appear an annulus or a fully illu-
minated disc ?
lI.—OPTICAL, ASTRONOMICAL, AND SOLAR- PHYSICAL
OBSERVATIONS, REQUIRING THE USE OF INSTRU-
MENTS.
7. As the eclipse advances, estimate (on the image
soon in the telescope) the comparative intensity of
the sun's light near the centre of his disc and near
his limb.
8. For the more critical observations, it is desi-
rable that the power of your telescope should be so
low as to give you an easy view of the whole breadth
of the sun.
9. Remark irregularities on the moon's limb.
10. As the cusps become very sharp, remark
whether they are irregular. For this, and for all the
observations near the annular phase, it is necessary
that you be provided either with a graduated pris-
matic shade, or with a succession of shades of dif-
ferent intensity, and that you instantly select the
shade which is most agreeable to your eye.
11. Remark whether the sun's light extends be-
yond the intersection of the limbs of sun and moon,
so as to make the moon's limb visible beyond that
intersection. For this purpose the bright parts of
the sun must be put out of the field of view, and
the shade must be withdrawn.
12. As the annualarity approaches and is formed,
remark whether Baily's beads and strings are
formed ; whether first formed at points correspond-
ing to large inequalities of the moon's limb ; whe-
ther they surround the moon ; how they form and
break. Only an instant can be given to this obser-
vation. It is of the utmost importance to be assured
that your vision at the instant immediately preced-
ing, especially of the moon's inequalities, is very
distinct.
13. Remark, as one of the most important obser-
vations of the eclipse, whether any red flames are
seen on the sun's limb. For this purpose you must
withdraw the shade, if you are on the annular track,
the instant after formation of the annulus ; if you
are not on the annular track, as soon as the eye can
bear the sun. On the annular track the whole line
must be rapidly scrutinised ; and when the ring
breaks, the still-illuminated part must be put out
of the field, and the moon's dark limb must be sur-
veyed. At places not on the annular track, this
plan (namely, to exclude the illuminated portion
of the disc from the field, and to survey the moon's
dark limb) must be followed throughout. It seems
not improbable that 'the best chance of seeing red
flames will be obtained at places not on the annular
track.