d7U SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1883. 



Combining E. A. and Decl. the three calculations give for the general 

 precession for 1880, 50".24O7, 50".2417, and 50".242G. 



Dr. Bolte's paper is chiefly interesting as a numerical application of 

 Schonfeld's formulae, as the materials at present available are not 

 extensive enough to enable us to prove clearly whether systematic 

 motions in the plane of the Galaxy exist or not. As to the values pro- 

 duced of the constant of precession, it is significant that the declina- 

 tions when used by themselves give a value differing much more from 

 the generally adopted value than the right ascensions do. Possibly 

 this may to some extent be explained by errors in Piazzi's or Lalande's 

 declinations. — (Copernicus, Nos. 29 and 30, 1883.) 



Star-gauges. — In the Philosophical Transactions for 1817 (p. 325), Sir 

 William Ilerschel says, that, "beside the 6S3 star-gauges published in 

 the Philosophical Transactions for 1785 (p. 221), above 400 more have 

 been taken in various parts of the heavens." 



These 400 unpublished gauges have lately been extracted from the 

 original observing-books preserved at the Herschel family residence at 

 Collingwood, through the kindness of Sir William Herschel, the present 

 baronet, and of his brother, Major John Herschel ; and tbe manuscript 

 has been presented to the Washburn Observatory, and will be printed 

 in its Publications, vol. n. 



The original records a^re in the handwriting of Miss Caroline Her- 

 schel, and by her faithful care every detail necessary to their accurate 

 reduction is preserved. It will be observed that only two-thirds of the 

 star-gauges of Herschel have heretofore been known. The new acqui- 

 sition will be welcomed by those interested in this class of observations. 

 They are a new gift from an inexhaustible mine. In this connection it 

 may be permitted to express the hope that the Bonn Observatory will 

 print the MS. tables prepared by Argelander, which give the counts of 

 stars in each square degree of the Durchmusterung. 



The systematic motion of the fixed stars. — Freyoid Eancken has pub- 

 lished, in the Ast. Nach., No. 2482, a resum6 of an investigation on the 

 proper motion of the fixed stars, which he has undertaken by the advice 

 of Dr. G ylden. 



The stars employed were, 1st, Argelander's 250 proper motion stars, 

 and 2d, 80 stars whose proper motions have been investigated by Dr. 

 Leo de Ball. 



From the stars of these two classes (with the exception of o Ceti, and 

 1830 Groombridge) the magnitude and direction of the solar motion have 

 been determined by formulae which involve the parallax of each star. 

 Tbe assumptions as to this parallax are derived from the hypothesis of 

 Gykhm, given in V. J. 8. dcr Astr. Gescllsch., vol. xn. Argelander's 

 proper motions in E. A. give the position of the solar apex in R. A. 

 as A = 284° 58'.0. Argelander's stars in Dec. give A =284° 37'.8, 



