Correspondence concerned primarily with following the solar eclipse of 14 December 1871. The papers include the announcement of the eclipse by N.R. Pogson; a report by Captain A.B. Fyers; observations by Sir J.N. Lockyer and Pogson, with 9 photographs taken at Madras; an Italian newspaper article by L. Respighi in the 'Gazzetta Officiale'; a French newspaper article; and a piece in 'The English Mechanic and World of Science' by R.A. Proctor. There are papers by Sir J.N. Lockyer on the 1871 eclipse expedition; P.A. Secchi's Italian paper, with a sketch of the eclipse; and two copies of 'Bullettino Meteorologico'. The correspondence includes a considerable volume of letters from W. De La Rue, A.C. Ranyard, Sir J.N. Lockyer, W.H.M. Christie, A.S. Herschel, E. Dunkin and W. Huggins on the publication of the eclipse. There are also plates on the Great Comet of 1861 and Donati's 1858 Comet, and five plates and one etching of the 1871 eclipse.