10 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



the transit of Mercury, November 7, 1881, are presented in 

 the usual form, including approximate formulae for computing 

 the times of the phases for any point on the surface of the earth. 



The pages devoted to positions of observatories contain more 

 complete and useful data than heretofore. The list has been 

 considerably enlarged, and the longitudes have been correct- 

 ed from the most recent available determinations. Additional 

 columns of these pages give the longitudes referred to Green- 

 wich, the reduction to geocentric latitude, and the logarithm 

 of the distance from the centre of the earth. 



The subsidiary tables heretofore given in the appendix for 

 the corrections of apparent places of stars depending on moon- 

 terms and small terms of nutation are to be omitted in the 

 JEphemeris for 1881. The effect of these terms has been in- 

 cluded in the computation of the apparent places of circum- 

 polar stars, wherever of sufficient importance. 



Extensive changes are to be made in the volume of the 

 American Ephemeris for 1882, under the direction of the pres- 

 ent superintendent, Professor JSTewcomb. Among the more 

 important alterations proposed are these : The list of funda- 

 mental stars will be largely extended; the heliocentric lon- 

 gitude, latitude, and radius vector of all the planets, together 

 with their distance from the earth, are to be given ; also, the 

 principal data for the moon's transit of the meridian of Wash- 

 ington ; more complete data in regard to eclipses of the sun, 

 and maps of the same on a larger scale ; also, the means of 

 readily identifying at any time the satellites of the outer 

 planets, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. 



REPORTS OF AMERICAN OBSERVATORIES. 



For the purpose of rendering the summary of the progress 

 and condition of astronomical science in 1878 fuller and more 

 satisfactory, a circular was sent to the directors of the vari- 

 ous public and private observatories of the United States, 

 asking for information on the following points : 



First, the personnel of the observatory ; 



Second, its principal instruments; 



Third, the subjects of observation to which attention lias 

 been devoted during the past year; 



Fourth, those which will be taken up during the coming 

 year; and, 



