ASTRONOMY. 145 



cate, as in the last three years, a displace lueut of the F line towards 

 the blue ; this displacement would correspond to a motion of the earth 

 towards Sirius at a rate of something more than 20 miles per second 

 though, from the nature of the observations, the amount of such a mo- 

 tion can not be considered as very accurately determined. For the year 

 1885 a photograi>hic record of the sun's surfiice can be made out for 

 three hundred and sixty days by filling up the gaps in the series of 

 Greenwich photographs from photographs obtained in India and the 

 Mauritius. Observations of comets and of casual phenomena have been 

 made with the equatorials ; and the magnetic and meteorological ob- 

 servations, the time-service, etc., have been kept up as in previous years. 

 Tlie full import of the statement that the reductions of the observations 

 are keepiug pace with their registration will be appreciated by all who 

 are engaged iu routine astronomical work. 



In regard to the new equatorial Mr. Christie says : " The construc- 

 tion of an object-glass of 28 inches aperture and 28 feet focal length, 

 with suitable tube, to be mounted on the southeast equatorial, has been 

 authorized by the Government, and the necessary funds have been pro- 

 vided in the estimates. The work has been intrusted to Mr. Grubb, 

 with whom I have arranged the details of the tube, which is to be of 

 special construction, adapted to the conditions of the mounting, and 

 available for spectroscopy and photography as well as for eye observa- 

 tions. Mr. Grubb proposes to provide means for readily separating the 

 lenses of the object glas's to such a distance as will give the proper cor- 

 rection for photograi)hic rays." 



It is proposed to refit the 12^-inch refractor for astronomical pho- 

 tography by placing a combination of a convex flint and a concave 

 crown lens about 2 feet within the focus, iu order to correct the chro- 

 matic aberration of the objective for the photographic rays without 

 alteration of the focal length. 



Grignon (1885). — Observations of sun-spots and of the physical ap- 

 pearance of planets, etc. * 



Hamburg (1885). — Only one hundred and nineteen nights in the year 

 were favorable for observing. Besides the meridian observations and 

 the observations of planets and comets, a large number of chronom- 

 eters have been tested. Dr. Schrader has left the observatory to take 

 part in a scientific exploring expedition, and his place is filled tempo- 

 rarily by Dr. Wilhelm Luther. The time-balls at Cuxhaven and Bremer- 

 haven have worked satisfactorily, the former having failed only four 

 times and the latter five. The Hamburg ball has given more trouble, 

 having failed, from various causes, twenty-one times during the year. 



Harvard College Observatory (1886). — The forty-first annual report of 

 the director covers the year ending November 1, 1886. About half the 

 Paine bequest, or $161,198, has become available for the support of the 

 observatory; and the funds, which iu 1875 amounted to $161,067 and 

 in 1885 to $226,988, have now riseu to $398,016. This increase must for 

 H. Mis. 600 10 



