436 SCIENTIFIC EECORD FOE 1885. 



funds is incorrect. Mr. Tatlock has been succeeded as director by Mr, 

 Charles A. Bacon. New arrangements have been made for both me- 

 teorological and astronomical observations, and special attention will 

 be given to solar and spectroscopic work. 



Stonylmrst College Observatory. — Magnetic and meteorological obser- 

 vations have been made in 1884, as during the past fifteen years. On 

 257 days drawings of the sun were made; the entire chromosphere was 

 measured on 88 days, and spectra of spots were obtained on 36 days. 

 " The glow encircling the sun during the day has never been entirely 

 absent, though it varied in intensity from time to time." 



Strasshurg.* — Dr. W. Schur has published his report of the work 

 done at the observatory during the last year. The instruments in use 

 at Strassburg are, (1) the meridian circle; (2) the altazimuth; (3) the 

 great 18-inch refractor; (4) heliometer, and (5) the 6-inch refractor. 

 It would appear, however, that to work these numerous and excellent 

 instruments Dr. Schur has only two assistants. The meridian circle 

 has been chiefly employed in observing stars for the southern zones of 

 the Astronomische Gesellschaft, as well as in determining positions of 

 the sun, moon, and large planets and miscellaneous stars, comet-stars, 

 &c. Determinations have also been made of the errors of division of 

 the circle and of the form of the pivots. With the altazimuth, to which 

 Herr Schur ai^pears to have devoted a considerable amount of time and 

 attention, observations of the moon have been commenced. The great 

 refractor has been used for observing comets, and a re-examination of 

 the micrometer-screw shows the necessity of a correction to the results 

 which have been already published. With the heliometer a number of 

 measures of the sun's diameter have been made ; whilst the 6 inch re- 

 fractor has been employed in making a series of measures for the deter- 

 mination of the parallax of tp^ Aurigse. The amount of work performed 

 by Dr. Schur and his assistants is very creditable to them ; but at the 

 same time we are constrained to remark that it is a misfortune that an 

 observatory which is so well provided with instruments should not have 

 a larger observing staff, in order that the various instruments might 

 be worked adequately and to the best advantage. ( Observatory, October, 

 1885) 



Tasclikent. — The main object of the observatory is to co-operate in the 

 surveys and explorations of Turkestan. Four latitudes and longitudes 

 were determined in 1884. Comets, asteroids, and solar-spots have been 

 observed also. 



Temple Observatory, Rugby. — The spectroscopic measurement of the 

 motions of stars in the line of sight has been continued, and a new in- 

 strument with prisms of bisulphide of carbon — intended for this work — 

 is nearly completed. Double stars measures have been made as in 



* Aatron. Nachr., No. 2675. 



