ASTRONOMY. 183 



eons proinineiit'c's; (3) a study of tlie ,t;eueiiil surface of the sun when- 

 ever the definition has been unusually good; (4) a sketcli of the chro- 

 uiospheric flames, with a wide tangential slit; (5) the spectrum of the 

 solar spots l)etween the lines B and I). Observations of lunar occnlta- 

 tions, of comets, and of the i)henoinena of Jui)iter's satellites have been 

 made as before. The sky-glows have also been watched with care. A 

 5^-inch Clark equatorial, formerly the property of Rev. T. W. Webb, 

 was purchased for the observation of the total solar eclipse of August 

 29, 188G. 



ISirassbtirg. — Dr. E. Becker was appointed director December 1, 1SS7, 

 relieving Dr. Kobold, the "observator," temporarily in charge. 01)- 

 servations of nebuhe, comets, and satellites have been made with the 

 refractor; observations of the sun, moon, and planets and of zero stars 

 for the southern zones with the meridian circle, and measures ot the 

 sun's diameter and sunsjtots with the heliometer. The transit instru- 

 ment has been used by Dr. Wislicenus for investigations with a ])er- 

 sonal equation aj^paratus of his own design. All reductions are well 

 advanced. The library has been thoroughlj" overhauled and recata- 

 logued. 



Syracuse (Kciv Yorl-). — The new observatory of the University of 

 Syracuse, a memorial to Cliarles Deniarest Ilolden, of the class of 1877, 

 was dedicated November 18, 1887, with an appropriate address by Pro- 

 fessor Newcomb. The iistruments are an 8 inch Clark equatorial, 3-inch 

 Troughtou and Simms transit, clock chronogra[)h, and chronometer. 

 Director, Prof. J. R. French. 



Si/yacuse {Neui Yorl:). — Piivate observatory of H. P. Stark; o^^rinch 

 Spencer equatorial refractor; 12-foot dome. 



Tacnbayn. — The National Mexican observatory, whi(;h is in the de- 

 partment of the secret ar\ of public works, was founded May 5, 187S. 

 The instruments were at first mounted at Chai)ultepec, but in 1883 they 

 were transferred to the i)resent building, erected at a cost of |l'00,()()(). 

 Tin; instruments are as follows: A refractor of 0'". 381 (IT) inches) aper- 

 ture; and 5'". 40 (17 feet 8 inches) focal length, by (Iriibb, ])rovided with 

 a fine micrometer and an ll-i)rism spectroscope; a meridian circle of 

 0"'.'J()3 (8 inches) ai)ertnre and 2'". 743 (!) feet) focal length, by Trough- 

 ton tS: Simms, with circles 0"'.()14 (30 inches) in diameter, divided to 5' 

 and read by four microscojjes, ami withcollinmtors of 0"'.ir)2 ((» inches) 

 aperture and 2"'. 15 (7 feet) focus; a Dallmeyer photoheliograi)h of 

 0"'.i(>2 (4 inches) aperture and 1"".53 (5 feet) focus, with parallactic 

 mounting and an enlarging apparatus; an alt-azimuth, also by Trough- 

 ton & Simms, of 0'".083 (3| inches) aperture and 0"\85 (2 feet inches) 

 focal length, with circles (>"'.60 (2 feet) in diameter, divided to .")', In 

 addition to these there are, not yet mounted, a Grubb equatorial of 

 ()"'.152 (6 inches) aperture and 2'". 54 focal length, an Ertel meridian in- 

 stiiimeiit of ()"'.152 apertni-e iind 2'". 20 focal length, and a Troughtou 

 & Simms zenith telescope, O'"'.O70 aperture and 1"'.15 focal length. Of 



