1835.] First Astronomer- Royal. 341 



appulses, and addressed them with some astronomical 

 speculations to the Royal Society, suppressing my name 

 under my anagram. My little labour was better accepted 

 than I expected — I received a letter of thanks from Mr. 

 Oldenburg the Secretary of the Society. My papers I sent 

 to Mr Stansby : he delivered them to Mr. Ashmole the 

 great lover of curiosities ; and he presented them to the 

 Royal Society. 



They procured me a letter from Mr. Collins also, with 

 an account of several new authors, and a promise of a good 

 correspondence, which he maintained very ingeniously 

 afterwards, procuring me many things I wanted. The 

 second letter I had from him was dated Feb. 3, 1669-70. 

 My first from Oldenburg was dated Jan. 14, 1669-70. 



After Easter Term, I made a voyage to see London : 

 visited Mr. Oldenburg [and] Mr. Collins. And was by the 

 last carried to see the Tower, and Sir Jonas Moore who 

 presented me with Mr. Townley's micrometer, and under- 

 took to procure me glasses for a telescope to fit it, for 

 which I left three guineas in Mr. Collins' hand, but got 

 not the glasses (being a twelve foot tube) till Sept. 18th, 

 following. This was the beginning of my acquaintance*''^* 

 [The MS. here ends abruptly.] 

 ( To be continued, J 



Article II. 



Researches into the Nature of the Decolourizing Combinations 



of Chlorine, By A. J. Balard. 



{Continued from p. 271.) 



3. Properties of the Aqueous Solution of Chloi'ous Acid. — 

 Chlorous acid, when diluted with water, is a transparent 

 liquid, slightly coloured yellow when in a concentrated 

 state. Its smell is distinct from that of chlorine and deu- 

 toxide of chlorine of Davy, but approaches the first more 

 nearly than the second. Its taste is stronger, but not acid. 

 It attacks the epidermis with greater energy than nitric 

 acid, producing a reddish-brown spot. 



It partially decomposes at common temperatures, and, in 

 summer, can only be preserved in ice, except when dilute 



