ASTRONOMY FOR 188'», 1890. 161 



Dr. Gill, the astronomer royal for the Cape, and Dr. Aiiwers, of Berlin, 

 by taking alternate watches of observation (June 10 to August 20, 

 1889) secured an admirable series of observations of Victoria, which 

 was in an exceptionally favorable position for determining the solar 

 parallax. A large part of Dr. Gill's report for 1889 is devoted to the 

 geodetic work which is under his direction. 



Carlp:ton College: Payne. — The first volume of publications con- 

 sists of a catalogue of 014 comparison stars observed with the llepsold 

 meridian circle, by Dr. Wilson. 



Catania: Biccd. — The observatory recently founded at Catania will 

 be chiefly devoted to astrophysics, photography, meteorology, and seis- 

 mology. It contains a Merz refractor of 0"',35 (13.8 inches) aperture, 

 one by Cooke of 0"'.lo (5.9 inches), and a photographic telescope, by 

 Steinheil, which will be used lor photographing the zone -|-12o to +0^. 

 (1890.) 



Chamberlin : H. A. Howe. — The disks for the 20-inch refractor are 

 being worked by Clark, and the mounting is well advanced at the shop of 

 Fauth & Co., Washington. The initial publication of the new observa- 

 tory is a report upon observations of the eclipse of January 1, 1889. 



Dearborn : Hough. — An illustrated description of the new observa- 

 tory at Evanston will be found in the Sidereal Messenger for October, 

 1889. 



Denver. — In addition to the working observatory founded by Mr. 

 Chamberlin, an observatory for students is in course of erection. A 

 6-iuch equatorial and a 3-inch transit have been ordered. 



Denver. {See, also, Chamberlin.) 



Dresden: von Engelhardt. — Observations of nebuliB star-clusters and 

 comets. Baron von Engelhardt has recently published a second ijart 

 of his "Observations Astronomiques," containing principally measures 

 of double stars, star charts, uebuhe, and comets. (1889). 



DuNSiNK : Ball. — A new reflecting telescope of 15 inches aperture 

 has been presented to the observatory by Mr. Isaac Roberts for photo- 

 graphic researches on stellar parallax. 



DusSELDORF: Luther. — Observations of small planets, and compu- 

 tation of their ephemerides. Since 1847, 1,474 observations of 172 

 asteroids have been n)ade. (1889). 



Edinburgh : Gopeland. — The site for a new observatory building two 

 minutes of arc south of the present observatory was selected in 1889. 

 The plans have been completed and it is hoi)ed that the work of con- 

 struction will soon be begun. It, is interesting to note that though the 

 new site is within 500 yards of the suburban railway, the porphyrite 

 rock of which the hill consists does not api)ear to transmit any percep- 

 tible vibration from the railway even when the heaviest trains are 

 passing. Dr. Becker has continued his determinations of the positions 

 of nebuke and work in stellar and solar spectroscoi)y. 

 H. Mis. 129 11 



