246 CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON. 



proximity to us. These stars do not necessarily move in any chosen 

 direction and consequently can not be expected to yield accordant 

 hypothetical parallaxes. Two methods were employed, one involving 

 distance and position-angle from the assumed vertex of preferential 

 motion, and the other involving position-angle alone. The latter 

 method proved more satisfactory. A comparison with observed paral- 

 laxes indicated that the mean value of the hypothetical parallax was 

 too great. 



As might be expected, there are considerable discrepancies between 

 observed and hypothetical parallaxes for individual stars, though it is 

 noticeable that the agreement between computed and observed values 

 are more in accordance in the case of parallaxes determined by heho- 

 meter observations than in the case of meridian observations. The 

 negative parallaxes amount to 9 per cent of the whole number. There 

 are also some abnormally large values of the computed parallax, the 

 great majority occurring where the observed parallax amounts to more 

 than OTl. Barring the abnormal cases, there is very fair agreement 

 between the means of the observed and hypothetical parallaxes for 

 cases where the observed parallax amounts to more than OTl. For 

 smaller parallaxes the means of the computed are very much larger 

 than the means of the observed. 



As a preUminarj' to discussing the proper-motions of the zone cata- 

 logue the solar motion has been deduced, placing the apex of the sun's 

 way at R. A. = 277?0, Decl. = +35?4. Considering the restricted dis- 

 tribution of the material this result is surprisingly good. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



During the year 20,219 observations were taken on 137 nights. The 

 observations were distributed among the observers as follows: S. 

 Albrecht, 4,628; A. J. Roy, 11,157; W. B. Varnum, 4,434. The 

 circle-readings for zenith distance showed the following distribution: 

 S. B. Grant, 6,236; H. Jenkins, 4,967; H. Raymond, 8,960. In respect 

 to the four positions of the instrument these observations were dis- 

 tributed— AE 3,318, AW 2,646, BE 6,242, BW 8,013. As large portions 

 of the summer observing list have been completed for miscellaneous 

 stars, the last few months have been mainly employed in an attempt 

 to strengthen the fundamental program, but with httle success, since 

 the almost continuous rainy and cloudy weather has broken the con- 

 tinuity of the series. 



REDUCTION OF OBSERVATIONS. 

 The prehminary steps in the reduction of the current observations 

 have been kept nearly up to date. The means of the transits have been 

 taken and the transits reduced to the mean wire. The accumulating 

 material persists in showing the personaUty among the various observers 

 with respect to difference in wire-interval. 



