clouds as "very similar to terrestrial-fleecy, irregularshaped, and illuminated; just such as eclipses have told us they are." We have thus a new chapter of solar physics opened out, the commencement, doubtless, of a series of grand discoveries as to the nature and constitution of the great central body of our system. Mr. Huggins has also applied spectrum analysis to the coma and tails of comets in which he considers satisfactory proof to exist of the presence of carbon.

APPENDIX.

II. SYNOPTIC TABLE OF THE ELEMENTS OF THE

PLANETARY SYSTEM.

N.B.-a denotes the mean distance from the sun, that of the earth being taken for unity; P the mean sidercal period in mean solar days; e the eccentricity in decimal parts of the semi-axis; i the inclination of the orbit to the ecliptic; the longitude of the ascending node; w that of the perihelion from node on orbit; L the mean longitude of the planet at the moment of the epoch E, for which the elements are stated; M the denominator of the fraction expressing the mass of the planet, that of the sun being 1; D the diameter in miles; the density, that of the earth being 1; T the time of rotation on its axis; d the mean angular equatorial diameter of the body of the planet, at its mean distance from the earth, in seconds; the ellipticity of the spheroid, as a fraction of the equatorial diameter; y the inclination of the axis of rotation to the plane of the ecliptic; H the mean intensity of light and heat received from the sun, that received by the earth being 1. The asteroids are numbered in their order of discovery.