78 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



merits of this class made by this celebrated artist. It is with this 

 instrument that M. Fekgola is observing the zone of stars which the 

 Observatory of Naples has undertaken for the German Astronomical 

 Society. Besides the three Meridian instruments, the Observatory of 

 Naples has in active use two Equator ials, and is soon to obtain a 

 third ot larger dimensions. The first of these instruments was 

 constructed in 1811 by Reichenbacii & Utsciineider, and has 3.27 

 inches aperture. It is with this small instrument that M. de Gas- 

 paris discovered nine asteroids, Hygeia, Parthenope, Egeria, Eunomia, 

 Psyche, Massilia, Themis, Ausonia, and Beatrix. The second Equato- 

 rial was made by Merz, of Munich, and has an aperture of 5.28 

 inches. M. Nobile employs it in the measurement of the double 

 stars of Struve's catalogue. " 



Observatory of the Roman College. 



Padre Ferrari, Director. 



" The observatory formerly under the direction of Padre Secchi is 

 built upon the top of the cupola of the Church of St. Ignatius ; but in 

 so solid a way that the stability of the instruments, during the night 

 at least, is quite satisfactory. The principal instrument of the ob- 

 servatory is an Equatorial of 7.5 inches aperture, which is one of the 

 chefs-d'eeuvre of Merz. There is still another Equatorial, by Cauchoix, 

 of 5 inches aperture, which is used for the daily observations of so- 

 lar spots, and also a Transit Instrument, by Ertel, for time deter- 

 minations. The situation of the observatory, in the centre of the 

 city, has forced its illustrious director to devote his efforts to the 

 study of physical astronomy, which, in his opinion, is too much neg- 

 lected in government observatories. 



" To recite the magnificent works executed in this branch of astron- 

 omy by Padre Secchi would require too much space, but I may men- 

 tion a new experimental method used by Padre Secchi in his stud- 

 ies of the solar protuberances. For more than a year he has employed, 

 in place of the prisms of his spectroscope, a diffraction-grating ruled 

 upon a speculum metal by Mr. Rutherfurd, of New York. This 

 grating lias 4000 lines to the English inch, and gives a spectrum 

 whose definition leaves nothing to be desired. For the studv of the 

 solar prominences such a grating appears to me infinitely superior to 

 any combination of prisms." 



Observatory of the Capitol. 

 M. Respighi, Director ; M. Scarpellini, Assistant. 

 " The second observatory in Rome, that of the Capitol, is under the 

 patronage of the Academia dei Nuovi Lincei. M. Respighi is now 

 occupied in observations of solar protuberances and in meridian ob- 

 servations, serving as basis for a catalogue of stars. For the first 



