227 



him struoji^Iinoj on the floor, but on examining him he had breathed 

 his last. 



Michaux left no issue. He had lived sing'e to an advanced age, 

 and changed abruptly his condition, by marrying a relation of his, 

 who, for a long time, had been the manager of his house, his attend- 

 ant in sickuess and the companion of his solitude. He has left her a 

 comfortable provision for the remainder of her life. 



Mr. Michaux was a member of the Legion of Honour, and a cor- 

 respondent of the French Institute. He was also a member of the 

 American Philosophical Society, of the Society of Agriculture and 

 Arts of Boston, of the Central Society of Agriculture of Paris, &c. 



Mr. Justice made a communication in which he stated that 

 he had recently, in company with two other members of the 

 Society, Prof. E. 0. Kendall and Dr. M. F. Longstreth, spent a 

 night at Haverford S:l o )1, at the request of the Trustees, to 

 examine a Refracting Telescope made for their Observatory 

 by Henry Fitz, of New Yoi*k. The short period of one night's 

 observations did not admit of testing the instrument fully ; but, 

 as far as it was tried, the performance was highly satisfactory. 



The Telescope is about 10 feet focal length, and the object glass 

 81 inches clear aperture; it is mounted after the most approved 

 Fraunhofer instruments, and is perfectly free in motion, being well 

 adjusted by counterpoises. It carries magnifying j owers varying 

 from 60 to 900 times. 



The companion of Polaris was seen imm diately after the sun had 

 set. The ring nebula in Lyra was clearly defined, and with the 

 higher powers, its centre appeared slightly misty, approaching in re- 

 semblance to a thin veil of gauze stretched across it. The separation 

 of the star Epsilon, in the same constellation, was very clean. The 

 clusters in Flercules, and the sword-handle of Perseus were splendid 

 objects; the stars in the latter being very beautifully defined on a 

 dark ground, thus appearing not only exceedingly brilliant, but ren- 

 dering the different colours more vivid. Jupiter's belts appeared to 

 be of a light brown colour; this has been heretofore noticed by some 

 observers, but it is believed some instruments do not indicate this. 

 Saturn's rings were clearly separated, the line of division being seen 

 extending entirely around, excepting where the body of the planet in- 

 tervened. It is supposed by some astronomers, that the dark line 



VOL. VI. — 2 I 



