I have to thank my friend, Dr. A. M. W. Downing, the Superintendent of the _Nautical Almanac_, for kindly verifying the calculations in chapters II. and III. G. F. C. NORTHFIELD GRANGE, EASTBOURNE, 1899. CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE I. INTRODUCTION 9 II. GENERAL IDEAS 11 III. THE SAROS AND THE PERIODICITY OF ECLIPSES 18 IV. MISCELLANEOUS THEORETICAL MATTERS CONNECTED WITH ECLIPSES OF THE SUN (CHIEFLY) 34 V. WHAT IS OBSERVED DURING THE EARLIER STAGES OF AN ECLIPSE OF THE SUN 40 The Moon’s Shadow and the Darkness it causes 41 Shadow Bands 46 The Approach of Totality 49 The Darkness of Totality 53 Meteorological and other effects 54 VI. WHAT IS OBSERVED DURING THE TOTAL PHASE OF AN ECLIPSE OF THE SUN 56 Baily’s Beads 57 The Corona 62 VII. WHAT IS OBSERVED AFTER THE TOTAL PHASE OF AN ECLIPSE OF THE SUN IS AT AN END 73 VIII. ECLIPSES OF THE SUN MENTIONED IN HISTORY—CHINESE 75 IX. ARE ECLIPSES ALLUDED TO IN THE BIBLE 86 X. ECLIPSES MENTIONED IN HISTORY—CLASSICAL 107 XI. ECLIPSES MENTIONED IN HISTORY—THE CHRISTIAN ERA TO THE NORMAN CONQUEST 128 XII. ECLIPSES MENTIONED IN HISTORY—MEDIÆVAL AND MODERN 145 XIII. ECLIPSES MENTIONED IN HISTORY—NINETEENTH CENTURY 162 XIV. THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH AS APPLIED TO ECLIPSES OF THE SUN 179 XV. ECLIPSES OF THE MOON—GENERAL PRINCIPLES 186 XVI. ECLIPSES OF THE MOON MENTIONED IN HISTORY 197 XVII. CATALOGUES OF ECLIPSES: AND THEIR CALCULATION 218 XVIII. STRANGE ECLIPSE CUSTOMS 224 XIX. ECLIPSES IN SHAKESPEARE AND THE POETS 229 XX. BRIEF HINTS TO OBSERVERS OF ECLIPSES 233 XXI. TRANSITS AND OCCULTATIONS 235 APPENDIX—INFORMATION RESPECTING THE TOTAL ECLIPSE OF MAY 28, 1900, FOR TRAVELLERS VISITING PORTUGAL AND SPAIN 239 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE FIG. 1. TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN, SEPTEMBER 7, 1858 _Frontispiece_