The first telescopic view of the sun is apt, it must be confessed, to be a disappointment. The moon is certainly a much more attractive subject for a casual glance. Its craters and mountain ranges catch the eye at once, while the solar disc presents an appearance of almost unbroken uniformity. Soon, however, it will become evident that the uniformity is only apparent. Generally speaking, the surface will quickly be seen to be broken up by one or more dark spots (Plate V.), which present an apparently black centre and a sort of grey shading round about this centre. The margin of the disc will be seen to be notably less bright than its central portions; and near the margin, and oftenest, though not invariably, in connection with one of the dark spots, there will be markings of a brilliant white, and often of a fantastically branched shape, which seem elevated above the general surface; while as the eye becomes more used to its work it will be found that even a small telescope brings out a kind of mottled or curdled appearance over the whole disc. This last feature may often be more readily seen by moving the telescope so as to cause the solar image to sweep across the field of view, or by gently tapping the tube so as to cause a slight vibration. Specks of dirt which may have gathered upon the field lens of the eye-piece will also be seen; but these may be distinguished from the spots by moving the telescope a little, when they will shift their place relatively to the other features; and their exhibition may serve to suggest the propriety of keeping eye-pieces as clean as possible. [Illustration: PLATE VI. Photograph of Bridged Sunspot (Janssen). _Knowledge_, February, 1890.]