300 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



He establishes this least remote period at the year 1747. It 

 is possible that the comet in question may have received, on 

 its approach to Jupiter in that year, the impulse which placed 

 it in its present orbit, and that it was consequently discovered 

 by M. Faye on its thirteenth return. 



Professor Peirce read some con'espondence between Dr. 

 Gerling of Marburg and Lieutenant Gillis, communicated by 

 the latter, and offered the following resolutions, which were 

 adopted. 



" Resolved, That, in the opinion of this Academy, the enterprise for 

 determining the solar parallax, in the method proposed in the corre- 

 spondence between Lieutenant Gillis and Dr. Gerling, is worthy to 

 be promoted by the government of the United States, by sending an 

 expedition to Chiloe, both on account of the great uncertainty which 

 attends the adopted value of this fundamental basis of astronomical 

 measurement, and the probability that this attempt will prove success- 

 ful, and thus redound to the honor of the country by which it is under- 

 taken. 



" Resolved, That a copy of the above resolution be transmitted by 

 the Corresponding Secretary to Lieutenant Gillis, with a request that 

 he will communicate it to the public authorities who may have this 

 subject under consideration." 



Professor Peirce also reported some of Mr. George P. Bond's 

 observations upon the nebula in Andromeda. 



Mr. Paine stated the results of his meteorological observa- 

 tions upon the present extraordinarily mild winter. 



Three hundred and fourth Meeting, 



January 26, 1848. — Quarterly Meeting, 



The President in the chair. 



The Corresponding Secretary read letters of acceptance from 

 the Hon. Abbott Lawrence and Professor Edward H. Cour- 

 tenay, who were chosen Fellows at the last quarterly meeting. 



Mr. Everett read a communication from Professor Nichol, 

 directing attention to certain deficiencies in the meteorological 

 records as printed in the Academy's Memoirs ; whereupon, 



