The Eclipse. TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES. Sir,-I expect you wiU be Inundated with letters about the eclipse, but as four of us had a very good view of it from the roof of our house on Constitution Hill, overlooking Poole Harbour, and as there were some interesting features among our observations, I thought I would send you an account of then. At 5 aam. rein was descending in torrents and the sky was completely covered with inky clouds, scudding before a strong westerly wind. By 6.30 the scene had changed like magic, and we looked out on a sparkling, clean-washed world. It is true the clouds still chased each other across the sky, but they were light and filmy clouds, with many breaks, and the sun was shining brilliantly over Poole Harbour, lighting up with dazzling splendour the white eliffs of Studland Bay and the Old Harry Rock, painting brilliant streaks on the Purbeck Rills (with alternate bands of shadow) and showing up the islands with the same alternations of light and shade. Cocks were crowing, and a chorus of smaUer birds was heralding in the day. With our smoked glasses we turned towards the sun, which had just begun to show a small piece of curved dark shadow on the right upper corner. Throughout the whole ecHipse the sun was either brilliantly visible, completely obscured by clouds, or veiled with light clouds, which made it possible to look at it wthout the use of smoked glass. We found this last condi- tion the most satisfactory for observation. The periods of complete obscurity were rare and brief, and on the whole we had a very good view of the edipse from beginning to end. From our high position we could mark the gradual change in the character of the sun- light on sea, cliffs, and hills, how the almost startling briMliance of the early light gradually gave way to a more sober light, and, finally, to a duU coppery hue. But though the lights on hills and shore continued to shift and change, with the movements of the clouds, yet, throughout the whole eclipse, the streaks of sunlight were as plainly discernible as in the early brilliance. As the eclipse progressed the notes of the birds underwent a marked change. It was into the head of the cook that the irst doubts entered, and soon his masterful trumpetings gave way to more feeble and unfinished calls, which fSnally ceased altogether. One became conscious that doubts and uncertainties possessed also the minds of the other birds. Their voices lost the note of morning triumph -became wavering and uncertain, and finally settled down to sleepy twitterings til they cease-d altogether. The last word was with the greater woodpecker, who flopped out of a neighbouring tree, and floundered uncertainly past, with a final chuckle which was almost ghostly. Shortly after 6 o'clock, when the shadow had crept over the sun till it bad the appearance of a thin moon at the left lower side of the disc, we witnessed one of the most beautiful pheno- mena that I have ever seen in the sky. Light Clouds were, at the moment, veiling the sun- not so as to hide it from us, but so that we could gaze at it comfortably without the use of smoked glass. A streak of rather darker cloud was just above the sun, and suddenly there appeared above this the most beautiful froth of rainbow colours. I do not know how to describe it but as froth, or perhaps soap- bubbles. The colours shone out on bright, thin clouds, and extended for a breadth of six or seven suns, the centre of the band of colour being immediately above the sun. It was a most marvellous sight. The clouds thus lit up had unevenly rounded edges, and the brightest part of the colours was near the top. It looked as if a marvellous flower-garden had suddenly blossomed out in the sky. This appearance lasted for about one minute, and fading then, returned no more. But the memory of its beauty will live for ever in the minds of those who saw it, for it was of those good things that pass man's understanding. As the light gradually returned so did the birds gain confidence and begin once more to chant their morning hymn. The last to take his part was the cock, in whom a spirit of scepticism as to the stability of his world seemed to bave been engendered. The wood- pecker's laugh was heard no more; *his nerve had been badly shakcen by the untoward events of the morning. One thing which particularly struck us was the large amount of ligsht which persisted during the whole time. Itwas never darker than early twilight; indeed, the light seemed to be much about the same as that of an ordinary cloudy morning. That fact, together with the rainbowgarden, the cessation of the birds' songs, and the constantly discernible streaks of dis- tant sunlight, were the outstanding facts in our impressions of the eclipse. Yours faithfully. BERTHA DEVENISH. THE ECLIPSE. AN ACCOUNT FROM DORSET.