Report of the Eclipse Expedition to Caroline Island, May 1883. (1884)

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

S O L A E E C L I P S E , MAY 6,1883. 87 of the heat of the corona, and are not seusitive enough for such refined ineHsureraent. Their use is to measure the effect of heat which is received from the sun and by reflection from the atmos- phere—the heat which is a factor in causing vegetable growth; they do not claim a position as delicate physical instruments The observations show that during the eclipse the amount of heat gradually diminished until practically none was received, and the temperature of night was attained. ^ 2. The maximum point of the curve in the first partial phase is at about 10.08 a. m., or four minutes after the first contact. This four mmntes covers whatever tardiness the instruments possess, as well as the natural increase of solar heat in the morning, until it was overbalanced by the direct cuttiug off of a portion of the sun's heat. The minimum point of the curve is at about 11.40 a. m., or three minutes after the ftbserved time of third contact. This time is some- what uncertain, as from the nature of the case this portion of the curve is drawn arbitrarily, the intensities having become indeterminate. The second maximum is at 1.15 p. m., four minutes after the last contac was noted The afternoon observations do not indicate as great intensities as the morning, as is further indicated by the computed diathermancy constants given below. The 'sky was observed to be quite hazy as the day advanced. 3. A measure of the clearness of the atmosphere can be obtained by computing the constant p in equation (4), using for A the value 2 322, and for I the intensities computed from the observations This computation has been made for thfe two observations at 10.00 and 10.05 a. m. at the beginning of the eclipse, and for those at 1.15 and 1.30 p. m.,'after its close. The fol- lowing are the results: , Time P- Mean 10 00 a m 0 727 10 05 a m 0 737 0 732 1 15 p ID 0 687 l.SOp m 0 690 0.688 The mean value of p corresponding with the adopted value of A is 0.751. I t is seen, then, that at the beginning of the eclipse the clearness of the sky was about normal, or slightly below the normal, but that after the eclipse it was decidedly below the average value. The computa- tion, therefore, confirms the evidence gi\eu by the intensities on May 6 compared with other days, and also the ocular evidence, that during the eclipse the skj was not wholly clear, but that there was a perceptible haziness. 4 5 BOTANY O F C A R O L I N E ISLAND (Collections by Dr DixoN and identihcations by Dr W I L L I A M T R E L E A S E , of the University of Wisconsin ) Dr. DIXON made a complete collection of botanical specimens from the south island, and included in his examinatioa all the portions of the whole group visited by him. This collection was turned over by me to Professor T E E L B A S E for examination, and I have to express the thanks of the expedition to him for his'very satisfactory report, which follows. The collection was in a very poor state for examination, and must have presented great diflBculties. I would call attention to the fact that out of 2 8 specimens collected a great number (21) are, I believe, not included in the report of the WILKES exploring expedition. 

88 MEMOIES OF T H E NATIONAL ACADEMY O F SCIENCES. Mr. U P T O N also'made a collection, which, however, arrived in such a condition as not to allow of accurate discussion. Dr. D I X O N ' S ineinoranduiu accompanying his collection, is as follows : "The vegetation of these coral islets is luxuriant, and in some portions quite dense,-jet. the variety of species does not cover a wide range. " The botanical specimens gathered comprise the entire flora of the islet occupied by the United States Eclipse Expedition, excepting two varieties of portulaca, the cocoa-nut palm, pine-apple, papaw, and pandanus. Of the trees, there being several varieties, there were procured leaves, old and young bark, and flower and fruit where possible. " The smaller plants yielded steins, root, and the flower, etc., when present. " Two vaneties of grass were also obtained. "The pandanus, portulacse, cocoa nut, fig, papkw, and pumpkin were recognized. " A large tree, forty or fifty feet in height, with a trunk four feet m diameter, is probably the Pisonia grandis. ''The wood of a small tree, No. 7 (m collection), is capable of a high polish. Some of the specimens may deteriorate and become unrecognizable, but the limited means for preservation at hand were fully made use of. Large roots and fruit are preserved in a box, numbers corresponding to appropriate specimens between bibulous papers, being affixed." The report of Professor T R E L E A S E is given below. UNIVERaiTY OF WISCONSIN, BOTANIOAL LABOEATOBY, Madison, Wisconsin, September 18,1883. DEAR SIR : I have the honor to present to you the accompanying report on the flora of Caroline Island, based upon the collection made under j'^our direction by Dr. DixON, U . S. N., and , submitted to me for examination. Very respectfully, WILLIAM TRELEASE. Prof. E . S.. H O L D E N . REPORT ON THE COLLECTION OF PLANTS MADE BT DR DIXON, O. S N (By W I L L I A M TRELKASE ) The following list comprises the entire flora of Caroline Island, wild and cultivated, exclusive of Algae, of which but one specimen was preserved by Dr. DixoN. I n one or two cases no speci- mens were collected. The identification of these species (inclosed m the list in parentheses) rests upon the collector. I n naming the collection I have been much indebted to D r A S A G R A Y , whose profound knowledge of the South Sea flora has rendered possible the identification of several species which were represented by very imperfect specimens. The species not included in the botany of the WILKES exploring expedition are marked with an astensk in the list. With the single exception of Fleurj-a ruderalis, which was collected on the island adjacent to that occupied by the Eclipse party, the plants are from the island occupied by the party. Beside the species enumerated, one lily, or ainaryllis ("No. 4"), was collected, of which the collector says: " Flower, 4 inches long, white, with brown lines, etc. Specimen destroyed, nearly. Stalks 18 inches high, bright green." The material is insufficient for identification. CRUCIFER-2E. Leipidnm piscidium, Forst., Prodr., 249. " Pepper-grass, No. 9." 

S O L A R E C L I P S E , M A T 6,1883. 89 POBTULAOB^. {Portulaca, Sp.) ? " Two varieties of portulaca " recognized. GTJTTIPERJE. Galophyllum inophyllum, L . , sp., 732. . i ' Wood capable of high polish, No. 8." M.A1.YAGEJB. Sida fallax, Walp., E e l . Meyen., 306. Only one specimen found, No. 6." SEHAEUBE-S!. Suriana maritima, L . , Spec, 284. PASSIFLORE^. Carica papaya, L . , Sp., 1466. Cultivated for its fruit. CtTOUBBITAOE-ffil, *{0'ucurMtapepo., L . , Spec, 1435.) Recognized in cultivation. RUBIAOE^. *Monnda cttrtfolia, L . , S p e c , 250. " Height of tree, 15-20 feet; branches low; No. 1." BOEAGINE-ffi. *Cordia auboordata, Lam., 111., 1899. " Tree, soft, high; lower branches touching the ground." *Tournefortia argentea, L . lil., Suppl., 133. " Eight feet high, clumpy, light green." *ffeliotropium, anomalum, Hook, and A m . , Bot. Beech. Voy., 66. " Six inches to 18 inches in height; flowers white; No. 3." SOROPHTTLAEINE-S!. •Busselia juncea, Z u c c , F l o r a , 1832,11., Beibl., p. 99. " One specimen only. Ground, and over tree stamt)8; No. 2." A native of Mexico, probably introduced for its flowers, as it is widely cultivated. NTOTAGINE^. *Boerhaavia, Sp.? "Vine creeping over ground and coral rock; leaves light green." Represented by a frag- ment which does not admit of further identification. *Pi8onia grandis, R . Br., Prodr., 422. " A large tree, 40 or 50 feet high, with a trunk 4 feet in diameter." OHENOPOBIACEiE. •Bomsingaultia baselloides, H . B . K . , Nov. Gen. et Spec, V I I . , 194. " Vine climbing over portico." ETJPHORBIAOE^. * Euphorbia pilulif era, L . , Amoen. Acad., I I I . , 114. •Phyllanthus Niruri, L . , Spec P I . , 1392. DRTIOAOE-S;. *Ficu8 oarica, L . Cultivated for its fruit. Fleurya ruderalts. Gaud., Voy. Urania, 497. S. Mis. 110 12