ASTRONOMY. 193 



studied the advantages of the station, more especially for solar obser- 

 vations, concluding that great scientific interest would attach to work 

 that might be accomplished during the four or five weeks of the fine 

 season in a small observatory at that point. Funds for the purpose are 

 not yet available. 



M. Mouchez further reports upon the distribution of time in Paris, 

 the additions to the museum during the year, which consist of instru- 

 ments of the last century found in the Observatory of Toulouse, a por- 

 trait of Copernicus, etc.; the work of the bureau des Calculs, which re- 

 mains in charge of M. Gaillot; the publications of the observatory during 

 the year, including vol, xvii, of the Annales, in which are some impor- 

 tant memoirs, theoretical and practical; and the«personal work of the 

 staff. 



A plan of the grounds of the institution is appended, on which are 

 distinguished those portions which M. Mouchez had proposed to alienate 

 with the view to providing means for the erection of an observatory at 

 a distance from Paris. [Nature.) 



PlonsJc {private observatory). — Solar spots are regularly observed, as 

 well as the positions and spectra of comets and the relative situations 

 of double stars. 



Potsdam. — Dr. Yogel has had the privilege of using the large Vienna 

 refractor during three months of 1883 for the investigation of the spec- 

 tra of faint stars. 



Jvpiter and Mars have been regularly observed by Dr. Loehse. 



Sixty-nine uebulai have been observed for position with the helio- 

 meter. 



The major planets (except Uranus) were photometrically observed 

 each five times or more. Many variable stars have been observed. 

 The Sun is observed constantly, and a great number of other researches 

 are in hand. 



Prague [private observatory.) — Professor Safarik has made 1,830 de- 

 terminations of the magnitude of 97 variable stars on IGl nights, be- 

 sides many other determinations of brightness as of the planets, comets, 

 zodiacal light, etc. 



Stocl-Jiolm. — Dr. Gyld^n's report relates chiefly to the progress made 

 in his new method of determining the absolute elements of the eight 

 major planets, and cannot be summarized here. 



The meridian-circle is devoted to the observations of all stars north 

 of + 45° which are in the Radcliffe catalogue. 



Zurich. — The Sun was observed on 302 days ; 2,400 single positions 

 of solar spots have been determined. Jupiter has been observed on 

 28 days, and observations of comets, etc., have been made. 



Observatory of Algiers. — This observatory was reorganized in 1881. 

 The dir<}ctor is M. Trepied, and the assistant M. Rambaud. The ap- 

 propriation is 12,900 francs (about $2,G00). The principal instruments 

 S. Mis. 33 — ^13 



