The author was led to examine the sun pictures taken by the Kew Photoheliograph, with the view of ascertaining if any connection exists between the behaviour of sun spots and planetary configurations.

It was found, that when any portion of the sun's disc recedes by virtue of rotation from the neighbourhood of Venus, it acquires a tendency to break out into spots, and, on the other hand, when such approaches Venus, there is a tendency towards the healing up of spots. Carrington's observations were then discussed, which seem to show that, on the whole, the sun's surface is fullest of spots when Jupiter is furthest from our luminary, and freest from spots when he is nearest.