Astronomy. 151 



of each day to distingnislied astronomers, specialists, who may wish to 

 turn its enormous power upon some one of the many unsolved prob- 

 lems of astronomy. Such astronomers may be invited to visit the 

 observatory for periods of several months, and will be given every 

 possible facility. The legislature of California has provided money for 

 a permanent support of the observatory, 



Lund (1885). — Dr. Dun^r is principally occupied with stellar spectra 

 and variable stars. Herr Laurin has observed with the meridian in- 

 strument a number of stars with large j»roper motion. 



McCormiclc Observatory. — Professor Stone's report for the year end- 

 ing Jane 1, 1886, states that the 2Ginch equatorial has been employed 

 chiefly in examining and sketching southern nebulce. The nebula in 

 Orion andtheTrifid and Omega nebula? have received special attention; 

 many others have been studied, and two hundred and thirty-three new 

 nebulse have been discovered. "The features seen indicate that thQ 

 performance of the instrument employed surpasses that of any of the 

 great reflectors which have been used in the examination of nebulte," 

 Double stars, comets, and occuKations by the moon have also been ob- 

 served. Observations with the small equatorial for the revision of the 

 23° zone are now practically completed. Electric lamps are used for 

 illuminating the circles and field of the great equatorial, and have 

 proved most useful. The 45-foot dome revolves as easily as when first 

 erected. 



The cost of the observatory building and instruments was about 

 $70,000, of which $64,000 was the gift of Leander J. McCormick. A 

 working fund of $25,000 was given by William H. Yanderbilt, and an 

 endowment of the directorship of $50,000 was subscribed by thealumni 

 of the University of Virginia. 



Professor Stone is assisted by Mr. F. P. Leavenworth and Mr. F. Mai- 

 ler. Part 2 of volume i, on the great comet of 1882, and part 3, on the 

 nebula of Orion, have been issued during the year. 



McGill College Observatory (1886). — A most thorough discussion of a 

 series of longitude observations by Professor McLeod, at McGill Col- 

 lege, and Professor Kogers, at Harvard College Observatory, has been 

 published: the resulting longitude of the pier of the transit instrument 

 at McGill Observatory being 4'' 54™ 18«.543 ± 0».043 west of Greenwich. 

 The center of the dome of the Harvard Observatory is assumed to be 

 in longitude 4i> 44™ 30^.993 rt 0^.011 west of Greenwich. 



Melbourne (1886). — Mr. Ellery has published the first installment of 

 observations of southern nebulae made with the great Melbourne re- 

 flector from 1869 to 1885. A description of the great 4foot Cassegrain- 

 ian reflectoris given ; and there are several lithographs of small nebulae. 

 Some fine results have been obtained in i)hotography both of the moon 

 and of stars and nebulte. 



Mexico. See Tacubaya. 



Milan. — The 18 in(;h Merz-Repsold refractor was mounted and ready 



