ASTRONOMY. 61 



tion of which is in N. latitude 42 30', longitude l h 8.5 m west of 

 Washington, I beg to say that such equipment consists only of an 

 old Dollond Marine-glass of 1-1 inch aperture and 28 inches solar 

 focal length ; a small Surveyor's Transit, provided with the usual 

 horizontal and vertical circles, each reading to single minutes only, 

 and a Telescope of 1 inch aperture, 11 inches solar focal length; one 

 horizontal and one vertical wire, and a diagonal Eyepiece with a 

 magnifying power of about 101 diameters; a Reflecting Sextant, 

 and a common Elgin Watch, two Barometers, and a chemical Storm- 

 glass. 



The very insignificance of this equipment may perhaps invest the 

 experimental work done therewith by an inexperienced novice, 

 without previous training, and guided only by a very few of the 

 most elementary text-books, with the only interest such work can 

 have, in comparison with regular work done by skilled observers 

 with instruments of higher powers and greater excellence. 



From October 20, 1877, to October 20, 1878, the sun has been ob- 

 served here on one hundred and thirty-seven days, at various hours, 

 on an average three times each day, and spots were seen through 

 the Marine-glass on twenty-one days, and observed with the Transit 

 on fifteen days during the meridian passage of the sun. 



Three of these spots viz., one group of five seen about 9 o'clock 

 A.M. on the 29th day of October, 1877, very near the sun's eastern 

 limb, and two seen at noon of January 24, 1878, near the sun's west- 

 ern limb have heretofore been reported to the Naval Observatory 

 as possible planets. 



In the first case, the possible planetary nature was not suspected 

 at the time, and the spot nearest the eastern limb, and a little above 

 the east point of the sun, was not observed witli the Transit at once; 

 and, being called away from home that day, no further observations 

 were made until noon of October 30, when the times of the meridian 

 passages and distances from the sun's upper and lower limbs of only 

 four spots were observed. 



On January 15,17, 18, 22, and 23, at various hours, and on the. 24th, 

 at 8 A.M., the sun had been examined and found clear of spots; but, 

 shortly before noon of the 24th, one large and one very minute spot 

 were seen near the sun's western limb, and preparations for a closer 

 observation were at once made. 



The first spot, oblong east and west, and somewhat larger than 

 Mercury as seen on the sun, May 6, through the same instrument, 

 passed the meridian 32 seconds after the sun's first limb, 21' north of 

 the lower limb; and the second spot, a mere black speck, passed the 

 meridian 35 seconds after the sun's first limb, and a trifle below the 

 first spot. Unfortunately, the sun disappeared behind clouds soon 

 afterwards, and before another observation of the differences of right 



