ASTRONOMY. 37 



1st. The Equatorial Refractor, of 13 inches clear aperture and 15 

 feet 2 inches focal length, made by Henry Fitz, of New York. 



2d. The Olcott Meridian Circle, of 8 inches aperture and 9 feet 8 

 inches focal length, with circles of 36 inches diameter, graduated to 

 2', made by Pistor and Martins, of Berlin. This instrument is 

 supplied with collimators, reversing carriage, and other apparatus 

 essential to its use. 



3d. The Transit Instrument, of 6.4 inches clear aperture and 8 feet 

 focal length, made by Pistor and Martins, of Berlin. 



4th. The 4-inch Comet-seeker, by Alvan Clark and Sons, of Cam- 

 bridgeport, Mass. 



5th. Two Standard Sidereal Clocks, one clock regulated to mean 

 solar time, and several Counting Clocks. 



6th. A Printing Chronograph, by Professor G. W. Hough, and a 

 Dish Chronograph, from designs by Professor Mitchell. These chron- 

 ographs are entirely out of rejDair. 



7th. A Printing Barometer, Thermometer, and Anemoscope. 



8th. Miscellaneous apparatus of minor importance. 



The observatory is supplied with an astronomical library of about 

 1000 bound volumes, besides numerous pamphlets. 



During the term of office of the present director the buildings 

 have been thoroughly repaired and the grounds improved. 



Observations have been made, principally with the Equatorial 

 Refractor and the Olcott Transit Circle. 



The principal observations with the former instrument have been : 



1st. Physical observations of Mars at opposition, with numerous 

 measurements of the inclination of its polar axis. 



2d. Observations of Iris at opposition for solar parallax. 



3d. Observations of the position of small planets. 



4th. Phenomena of Jupiter's satellites. 



The Olcott Meridian Circle has been devoted 



1st. To observations of Mars during opposition, on the plan pro- 

 posed by Professor Eastman, of the Naval Observatory. 



2d. The positions of many small stars have been observed, both in 

 right ascension and decimation. Particular attention has been di- 

 rected to stars of the sixth magnitude, or brighter, which at present 

 lack satisfactory modern determinations. 



3d. Observations of Ariadne, Iris, and Melpomene. 



4th. Standard time has been furnished to the city of Albany, and 

 to all railroads and telegraph lines radiating from this point. 



5th. Many observations have been made for latitude, flexure, values 

 of telescope micrometers and other instrumental constants. 



During the year 1878 it is proposed to continue the observation 

 of selected stars and asteroids. Plans for observations on a more 

 extended scale are under consideration, but not fully matured. It 



