Mr Dunlop's observations 071 the Comet of \8%5. 85 



July 2!th.— At 17 h 30' mean time, I got a very distinct view 

 of the comet ; the tail extends about 15' in length, and about 

 4' or 5' broad at the extremity ; the tail is bright at the sides, 

 with a dark space in the middle. — I can perceive a bright point 

 in the head or nucleus. 



Sept 8th. — At 14 h 13' mean time, the cornel is very bright, 

 and greatly increased in splendour, but the dark space in the 

 tail does not exist. 



Sept. 12th. — At 15 h 40' mean time, comet rapidly increasing 

 in splendour. The head is round and well-defined, the tail is about 

 21° in length, with a dark space in the middle, and rather sud- 

 denly bright at the sides. This is the first time that I have seen 

 the head round and well-defined. 



Oct 2d. — I expect the comet will eclipse * Eridani, a star of 

 the third mag. 



At 4 h 41' sidereal time, the comet is north, following the 

 star. 



At 4 h 49' the nucleus is still distinct, and very near the star, 

 but I can see nothing of the head, and a considerable portion 

 of the tail is also invisible, the star being very near the centre. 



At 4 h 57' 36", the nucleus of the comet must be exactly, or 

 very near in the line of the star. I think this must be very near 

 the moment of the comet's conjunction or transit over the star. 



At 5 h 6' I can see the small point or nucleus of the comet pre- 

 ceding the star, and very near it. It is merely a point of a 

 dusky red colour. I cannot estimate its diameter at more than 

 one-third of a second. The head of the comet is still invisible, 

 and also part of the tail. 



At 5 h 10', the nucleus of the comet is still very distinct, but 

 the head is still invisible. 



For about the space of two minutes of time, I could perceive 

 the star very sensibly diminish in splendour, and assume a more 

 dull and planetary aspect, the straggling rays being sensibly 

 cut off. 



About 4 h 56' 39" or 41", the star made a very sudden tre- 

 mor, perhaps 3" or 4" of a degree up and down in the tele- 

 scope — or, as it were, staggered in its march through the field — 

 as if the telescope had been slightly touched by the hand, or a 

 slight tremor from the wind, but neither of which I think was 



