Geological Society, 57 



to increased watchfulness on the part of meteorologists to avail 

 themselves of occasions (which perhaps occur oftener than we are 

 aware) of noting anything analogous in future. 

 I have the honour to remain, 



My dear Sir, 

 Your very faithful and obedient Servant, 



J. F. W. Herschel. 



Saturday, March 18, 1843. 



P.S. — There having been no post today, and the above not having 

 been finished in time for despatch last night, an opportunity is af- 

 forded me for stating that the phaenomenon abovedescribed has again 

 reappeared this evening, at the same hour and in the same situation, 

 or rather a very little more to the north, so as to graze and partly 

 to involve the stars *-, \ Leporis. It was also traceable in R. A. 

 some little way beyond those stars on the following side. The 

 horizon being more obscured by vapour tonight than last night, 

 neither y, 3, nor e Eridani could be seen. 



The fixity of this object among the stars on the 17th, induced me 

 to express to a member of my family this morning an idea that it 

 might possibly be seen again tonight, in which event its extra-at- 

 mospheric origin would become quite evident. If a thread be 

 stretched on a celestial globe along the central line of the band as 

 nearly as the above observations will enable us to fix it, and pro- 

 longed to meet the ecliptic, it will strike on the actual place of tJie 

 sun. The inference seems almost unavoidable, that our band is no 

 other than the tail of a magnificent comet, whose head at the times 

 of both observations has been below the horizon*. I await, there- 

 fore, with extreme interest, the event of further observation, but al- 

 though to afford others an opportunity of observing it, it will be neces- 

 sary for me to make a more immediate and public announcement, I 

 am still desirous to place on record my first impressions respecting so 

 remarkable an appearance, in the mode originally intended, both as 

 a mark of respect to the Royal Society, and as pointing inquiry to 

 other luminous " streaks " and " columns " in the sky, which have 

 been spoken of to me as having been seen during the last summer 

 and autumn on more than one occasion, and which in point of fact 

 caused me to desire every inmate of my family to give me imme- 

 diate notice of the appearance of anything unusual in the heavens, 

 and thus led directly to the observations above detailed. 



A paper was also in part read, entitled, " Researches into the 

 Structure and Developement of a newly discovered parasitic Ani- 

 malcule of the Human Skin, the Entozoon folliculorum" By Eras- 

 mus Wilson, Esq. Communicated by R. B. Todd, M.D., F.R.S. 



GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 

 [Continued from vol. xxii. p. 228.] 

 April 6, 1842.— -A Memoir, entitled "A Second Geological Sur- 

 vey of Russia in Europe," by Roderick Impey Murchison, Esq., 



* See Phil. Mag., S. 3. vol. xxii. p. 323.— Edit. 



