REPOETS OF ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORIES. G35 



240 : one made by Meez & Son, of Munich ; aperture of objective, 7| 

 inches; uiaguifying powers of eyepieces, 80 to 1018. This instrument 

 is furnished with a micrometer, reflecting prisms, and sun-shades. It is 

 driven by clockwork. The hour circle is 10 inches in diameter. It is 

 graduated on silver to single minutes, and reads by two verniers to 

 4 seconds of time. The declination circle is 15 inches in diameter. It 

 is graduated on silver to 10 minutes, and reads by two verniers to 10 

 seconds of arc. The finder was made by Al \' an Clark & Sons, of Cam- 

 bridgeport, Mass. It has an ai)erture of 1 J inches and a focal length of 

 17^ inches. 



(g) Clods: one mean time; maker, Riggs, of Philadelpliia : one 

 sidereal; makers, Gregg & Eupp, of New York. 



(/) Miscellaneous : The instrumental equipment includes also a sex- 

 tant made by E. & G. W. Blunt, of New York; the arc is graduated 

 on silver, and reads by a vernier and microscope to 10 seconds. An 

 alt-azimuth instrument, made by E. & G. W. Blunt ; it has an aper- 

 ture of 2^ inches ; the circles are 12 inches in diameter, and graduated 

 to 10 minutes ; the horizontal circle has four verniers with microscopes 

 and the vertical circle two, and each reads to 10 seconds. A Transit 

 theodolite, made by Gregg & Eupp, of New York. 

 Observations during the past year: 



{a) The meridian circle has been used for time observations only. 



(c) {&) Equatorial : Observations on IIartwig's comet; observations 

 on Swift's comet. 



Work proposed for the coming year (1881): 



1. The ordinary work of instruction to chisses in astronomy. 



2. Observations for time. 



3. Observations on such new planets and comets as may be announced. 

 During February and March, 1880, the old observatory building, which 



stood a few feet west of the main university edifice, was moved and en- 

 larged. It now stands on the beautiful eminence in the campus near the 

 chalybeate spring. The meridian line of each pier now passes between 

 the university building and the president's mansion. In this position a 

 good horizon is secured. In the old position the horizon was obstructed 

 on tlje north by the scientific building, and on the east by the university 

 building. 



The old dome was found to be too small for the equatorial recently pur- 

 chased, and a brick addition Avas made at the east end for the accom- 

 modation of this instrument. The whole building is G3 feet long from 

 east to west, and fronts east. 



The present greatly improved condition of the Observatory is due to 

 the liberality of the president, Dr. S. S. Laws, who, for the advance- 

 ment of astronomical science, has given to the university more than 

 $2,000 in order to procure the telescope and put it in complete working 

 order, and to move and enlarge the observatory building. 



