REPORTS OF EUROPEAN OBSERVATORIES. 



579 



Observations on the light of variable stars were made, and the transit 

 of Mercury observed on the 0th of May. 



UNIVERSITY OBSERVATORY, BRESLAU. 

 (J. G. Galle, Director.) 



Owing to a number of circumstances which prevented the, purchase 

 of new and improved instruments, the activity of the observatory, in an 

 astronomical point of view, has been mainly confined to the instruction 

 of the students of mathematics. 



Regular observations, however, were made in meteorology, embracing 

 a series of eighty-eight years (since 1701), to which were added, nine 

 years ago, the daily records of the variation in the magnetic declination. 



The works in progress are : A compilation and reduction of all the 

 meteorological observations made at the observatory since 1791. This 

 work also contains a compilation of geographical constants, topograph- 

 ical communications, and determinations of heights, and notes respect- 

 ing the progress in astronomy in Silesia and elsewhere. 



ROYAL OBSERVATORY, BRUSSELS. 

 (J. C. Houzeau, Director.) 



The death of Mr. Ernest Quetelet has materially changed the pro- 

 gramme of work of the observatory. Mr. Quetelet had, at the time of his 

 death, commenced the last series of his work on stars with proper mo- 

 tion, an account of which work, commenced in 1848, was given by him- 

 self. Of the unfinished portion of the work the observations for 1870 

 are in the hands of the printer; the calculations of those for 1877 are 

 well advanced, and the computation of those for 1878 will soon com- 

 mence. 



Meridian instruments were employed as follows : The mural circle to 

 observe a and 8 Ursa} minoris for the purpose of determining the lati- 

 tude; the G-ambey meridian transit to observe fundamental stars for 

 time. Moon-culminating stars were observed for the determination of 

 geographic longitudes. Telegraphic comparisons are being made with 

 Greenwich. 



The solar spectrum has been observed, and micrometric measurements 

 made of certain doable stars. The satellites of Jupiter were observed 

 wlienever the state of the sky permitted. 



All the observations were made as accurate as the old instruments of 



