PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



AMERICAN ACADEMY 



OF 



ARTS AND SCIENCES. 



VOL. XXII. 

 PAPEHS READ BEFORE THE ACADEMY. 



OBSERVATIONS OF THE MEAN RIGHT ASCENSION 

 OF CERTAIN POLAR STARS, MADE AT THE 

 FIELD MEMORIAL OBSERVATORY OF WILLIAMS 

 COLLEGE, AND REDUCED TO THE EPOCH 1884.0. 



By Truman Henry Safford. 



Presented April 14, 1886. 



The observations here presented were made mostly in 1884; a few 

 earlier were not before reduced, for reasons of convenience ; and a 

 very few later, in 1885, are here added for completeness' sake. 



The latter portion of the observations of 1884, not here given, and 

 those of 1885, are in progress of reduction to 1885.0, and will be 

 offered to the Academy later. The present series includes right 

 ascensions only, as with the instrument here employed it is not con- 

 venient to observe both co-ordinates of so close polars at the same 

 time. The region in which I am at present working allows this 

 simultaneous observation. The declinations of the stars here given 

 are readily observed along with both right ascensions and declinations 

 of the stars now taken. 



The series of which this work is a part was begun in 1882, at the 

 Field Memorial Observatory of Williams College. The results of 

 1882-83 are given in the Proceedings, Vol. XIX. pp. 324-352. My 

 intention was and is to carry it over a pretty extensive region of 

 the heavens, taking in from time to time stars needing observation, 

 and those only. This condition, it is true, offers a wide range of 



VOL. XXII. (N. S. XIV.) 1 



