ASTRONOMY, 185 



Turin. — Observations of coiiii'ts, iin Icoiolouiciil observations, ;ui(l a 

 (b'tcrniiiiiUioii ol' tiio latitude of a station at 'JV-rinoii lia\c bi^-n pub- 

 lished. 



United States Naval Ohservatorij. — The work of ]887-'88 was similar 

 to that of previous years. Witli the li(5 in(;h e<in;itorial observations 

 were nnide of double stars, satellites, and of Saturn and Mars, and 

 observations for stellar parallax; with the y.iJ-ineh, observations of 

 comets an<l asteroids. The observations with the traiisit-eircle for a 

 catalogue of niiscelhmeous stars were completed in 1888, ;ind prepara- 

 tions have been made for observing with this instrument the zone —14° 

 to —18°. The time-service has been considerably extended. The con- 

 tract for the erection of the nine buildings comprising the new obser- 

 A'atory was awarded in 18-8, and some progress has been made with 

 the necessary excavations. 



Upsala. — Dr. Ilernnmn Schultz describes at some length in the Vier- 

 teljahrsschrift (1*3:144) the recent additions to his instrumental outfit: 

 a transit and a vertical circle, both by Repsold, with objectives of Dii""" 

 (4 inches) aperture; a transit, by Steinheil, of 54""" (2 inches) aper- 

 ture, mounted in the prime vertical; a 4-inch refractor, parallactic 

 mounting, by Simms; clock Ilohwii 34, three chronometers, two chrono- 

 graphs, and minor apparatus. The principal instrument of the obser- 

 vatory is a 9-inch refractor. 



Vassar College. — Miss Mary W. Whitney has been appointed to till 

 the vacancy caused by the resignation of Miss Maria Mitchell. 



Vienna [Wien-Ottakring). — The private observatory of Elerr von Ivuff- 

 ner, which was begun in 1884, was (;om[)leted in 1887. The building is 

 in the shape of a cross, 82 feet from east to west and 01 feet from north 

 to south. The instruments are: A meridian <;ircle, by Ke{)S()ld, of 1.8 

 inches aperture and 5 feet focal length, with circle 21.(5 inches in diain- 

 ter, divided to 2' and read by four microscopes; and a, refia(;tor, also 

 by Kei)sold, of 10.0 inches aperture and 12i feet focal length, with 

 tilar, double image, and ring micrometers. The position of the obser- 

 tory, as provisionally determined by Dr. Ilerz, is: Latitude, +48'^ 12' 

 47".2; longitude, 1'' 5'" IIM east of Greenwich. 



Warner {Rochester, Neiv York). — Search for new nc^bul.'C. 



Washburn. — The (ifth volume of ])ublications contains the observa- 

 tions made with the meridian circle by Miss Land) and Mr. Updegrali" 

 from the latter part of 1880 to Ai)ril 1, 1887, ()l)ser\ations made with 

 tlu! 15.^ inch ecpiatorial, and a summary of meteorological ob.servations 

 made by various observers at Madison from l-r)3 to 1880. Miss Lamb 

 contributes a very useful index to stars in Airy's six Greenwich cata- 

 logues not found in Flamsteed, and IMr. TTpdegraff a discussion of the 

 latitude of the observatory. Trofessor Davies was suc<!eeded by Prof. 

 G. C. Comstock as director, and Prof. Asaph Hall as consulting director. 

 Mr. Updegraff and Miss Lamb (now i\Irs. Updegraff) have removed to 

 the Cordoba observatory. The assistants now at the observatory are 



