W Proceedirtgi of PhiloiopMcdl Societiesl fJuLV, 



nomicft! communication, it cannot but be regarded as copious, 

 elaborate, and interesting. 



There was also laid before the meeting an account of obser- 

 vations made at Paramatta, in New South Wales, by Major- 

 Gen. Sir Thomas Brisbane, KCB. Governor, Sec. ; communii 

 cated in a letter to Francis Bailey, Esq. President of this 

 Society. These refer to the solar eclipse on January 1, 1824; 

 to several occultations of fixed stars by the Moon ; to stars 

 observed with the Moon near her parallel; to observations 

 before and after the superior conjunction of Venus with the 

 Sun, July and August 1824; to observations on the planet 

 Uranus near the opposition in July 1824; and to observations 

 on two comets, one of which was not observed in Europe. 



Next there was read a report On the Properties and Powers 

 of an Altitude and Azimuth Circle constructed by E. Trough- 

 ton, and divided by T. Jones ; drawn up by the Rev. W. Pearson, 

 LLD. FRS. and Treasurer to this Society. The pecuharities 

 of the construction of this fine instrument cannot be adequately 

 described in an abstract. But some estimate may be observed 

 of its accuracy from stating, that by comparing the mean latitude 

 of South Kilworth Rectory (Leicestershire) with each and all of 

 sixteen separate determinations, it does not differ more than one 

 second and one-tenth from the extreme latitude ; that the true 

 obliquity of the ecliptic at the December solstice 1824, as de- 

 termined by this instrument, was 23° 27^ 44'',01 ; while the 

 mean of the determinations of Delambre, Brinkley, and Bessel, 

 is 23° 27' 44'',55. Observations on the pole-star, and another 

 determination of the obHquity of the ecliptic, by a method sug- 

 gested by Dr. Brinkley, serve still further to confirm the charac- 

 ter of the instrument for accuracy, and the value of such an 

 instrument when used by a skilful, scientific, and experienced 

 observer. 



The reading was commenced of a paper On the Construction 

 and Use of some new Tables for determining the apparent place 

 of about 3000 principal fixed Stars ; drawn up, at the request of 

 the Council, by the President. 



June 10. — The reading of Mr. F. Baily's introduction to the 

 new Tables for determining the apparent places of 3000 fixed 

 stars, was resumed and completed. This copious introduction 

 commences with a historic sketch of the most important tables 

 which have hitherto been pubfished for similar purposes ; none 

 of which, however, are so extensive as the tables to which the 

 present paper is introductory. They comprehend, first, all stars 

 above the Jifth magnitude wherever situated ; secondly, all the 

 stars, not less than the sixth magnitude, situated within 30° of 

 the equator; thirdly, all the stars, not less than the seventh 

 mas^nitude, situated within W of the ecliptic. 



After a few general observations, Mr. Baily speaks in succes- 



