ibed as "violet," "brick-red," "reddish," "pink," "orange,"
"yellowish." The observations on this point are not very numerous and,
as will appear from the statement just made, are not very consistent;
still it seems safe to assume that a hue, more or less reddish, does
often pervade the uncovered portion of a partially-eclipsed Sun.

The remark just made as regards the Sun seems to have some application
to the Moon. There are a certain number of instances on record that what
is commonly spoken of as the black body of the Moon does, under certain
circumstances, display traces of red which has been variously spoken of
as "crimson," "dull coppery," "reddish-brownish" and "dull glowing
coal."

SHADOW BANDS.

Let us suppose that we have a chance of observing a total eclipse of the
Sun; have completed all our preliminary preparations; have taken note of
everything which needs to be noted or suggests itself for that purpose
up till nearly the grand climax; and that the clock tells us that we are
within, say, five minutes of totality. Somewhere about this time perhaps
we shall be able to detect, dancing across the landscape, singular wavy
lines of light and shade. These are the "Shadow Bands," as they are
called. The phrase is curiously inexplicit, but seemingly cannot be
improved upon at present because the philosophy of these
appearances--their origin and the laws which regulate their
visibility--are unknown, perhaps because amid the multitude of other
things to think about sufficient attention has hitherto not been paid to
the study of them. These shadow bands are most striking if a high
plastered wall, such as the front of a stone or stuccoed house, is in
their track as a screen to receive them. The shadow bands seem to vary
both in breadth and distance apart at different eclipses, and also in
the speed with which they pass along. Though, as already stated, little
is known of their origin yet they may be conceived to be due to
irregularities in the atmospheric refraction of the slender beam of
light coming from the waning or the waxing crescent of the Sun, for be
it understood they may be visible after totality as well as before it.
It is to be remarked that they have never been photographed.

[Illustration: FIG. 6.--SHADOW BANDS.]

In addition to the shadow bands there are instances on record of the
limbs of the Sun's crescent appearing to undulate violently on the
approach of totality.