ASTRONOMY IN WANSTEAn. ^6^, 



exhibited by the Society at the Special Loan Collection of Scientific 

 Apparatus, held at South Kensington in 1876, together with a 

 wooden model of the stage, designed by Dr. De la Rue in 1855. 



Amongst other early telescopes then on loan were two small ones 

 constructed by Galileo in i6og, with object-glasses respectively of 40 

 and 50 mm. in diameter. With these he made his most important 

 discoverie\s. They were lent for the occasion hy the Royal Institute 

 of Florence. 



Another interesting exhibit was ihc first reflecting lelesrope, 

 designed and made by Sir Isaac Newton in 1671, who subsetjuently 

 presented it to the Royal Society. It is a tiny instrument with a 

 cardboard tube, about seven inches in lengtli, and an ebony eyc- 

 [)iece. It has a focal length of 6', inrhes, and a magnifying power 

 of only 38 diameters 



[The Rev. W. C. Howell, ^^.A., h;is communicated a copy of the note of the 

 observation of y Dracotiis, made bj' Bradle}^ at Kew, with the Zenith Sector of 

 Molyneux, on the 21st of December, 1725 ; the discordance of which with the 

 resuhs of previous observations revealed to him the first glimpse of his immortal 

 discover}^ of the Aberration of Light, alluded to by Mr. Crouch in the above 

 paper. This note was found by the late Prof. Rigaud among the MSS. of 

 Bradle}', written upon a loose piece of paper : — 



"Dec 21" Tuesday 5'' 40' sider time 



Adjusted y mark to y Plumb line 



& then y" Inde.x stood at S 



5h 48' 22" y" star enlred 



49 52.J Star at y Cross 



51 24 Star went out 



couKl 



As soon as I let go y'' course 



A 



screw I perceived y'" star too 



much to y" right hand & 



so it continued till it passed 



y Cross thread and within a Cjuarter 



was 



of a minute after it had passed 



graduat 

 I turned y" fine screw till I saw 



A 



y'' light of y star perfectly 



bissected and after y obser 



vation I fcjund y inde.x 



at 1 1 J, so that by this 



observation y 



mark is about 3"f 



too much south 



but adjusting 



y'' mark and plumb line 



I found y" index at 8^ "] 



[With reference to the abo\e note bj' Mr. Howell, Mr. Ci;oitch has added the 



following to the proof ; — 



U 2 



