CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 53 



found, even though he swept to a much greater distance than 

 any probable error of his observation would allow. On thif 

 circumstance he remarks: 



" As much as the absence of a red star as brilliant as that 

 one I observed during the eclipse seemed naturally to lead 

 me to suppose that the star in question was not other than 

 an intra-mercurial planet, nevertheless, as the most necessary 

 elements- such as the position, and a disk, or a sensible 

 phase — failed my observation, I believe it is my duty to hold 

 my opinion in reserve, and for the present suspend my con- 

 clusions upon the possible nature of this star." 



With regard to the reference to the stars 41 Arietis and 

 e Arietis, respectively of the 4th and 4| magnitudes, it need 

 only be remarked that they were not in or near the region of 

 the reported red star. The former star was 10^ degrees 

 north of the sun and 2 A- degrees to the east; the latter star 

 was 4J degrees north, J a degree east of the sun. They may 

 be thrown out of the case, except as indicating that he saw 

 them, probably with the naked eye, as he could hardly be 

 looking in that locality for an intra-mercurial planet. Two 

 or three stars of this constellation, but of the 5th and 6th 

 magnitudes, lie from H to 3 degrees to the north and west 

 of tf Arietis, but they do not appear to have been seen. 



We are therefore reduced to the consideration of <5 Arietis 

 as being the star which M. Trouvelot saw. At .our meeting 

 lie named the estimated distance of the observed star from 

 the sun, and this estimated distance almost exactly tallies 

 with the position of 6 Arietis; and his observing 3 deg. west 

 and 3 deg. north is represented by 2f deg. west and 2f deg. 

 north; the estimated magnitude agrees with the actual 

 msgnitude ; and the absence of disk and of phase, agreed with 

 the observer's statement that it was a star. 



In my judgment, but one condition remains unsatisfied, 

 namely, that it was a red star. And it seems to me not un- 

 likely that there may have been atmospheric or possibly cos- 

 mic conditions in that vicinity which gave the stai» a reddish 

 hue ; or that he may have a tendency to see an object with a 



