724 PROGRESS OF ASTRONOMY FOR 1891 AND 1892. 



OBSERVATORIES. 



The chief sources of inforinatiou couceming tlie recent work of as- 

 tronomical observatories are the Vicrteljahrsschri/t der Astronomischen 

 Gesellschaftj for continental and a few American observatories, and the 

 Monthhj Notices for English observatories; in addition to these are the 

 reports of tlie observatories themselves — thouglr fewpul)lish independ- 

 ent aunnal reports — and notes in current journals, chiefly the Observa- 

 tory and the Sidereal Messenger. 



In the following resume the length of the notes is by no means always 

 in i)roportion to the imj)ortance of the institution. The character of 

 the work of the older observatories is generally too well known to 

 leqniremore than the briefest mention, while for the new ol)serva- 

 tories an eftbrt is made to put on record as much information with re- 

 gard to the equipment, etc., as can be found. In most instances it 

 has not seemed necessary to distinguish between the two years covered 

 by the review. 



Among papers of interest on observatories is a series of notes on 

 visits to some American observatories made by Mr. H. F. Newall, of 

 the Cambridge Observatory, England, and published in the Observatory. 



Abastuman. — A new mountain observatory has been established 

 at Abastuman (2'^ 51'" 2;> E, + 41° 42'.4). It is 4,5()(> feet above sea 

 level and is equipped with a 0-inch telescope by Kepsold. 



Adelaide: Todd. — Eeobservation of Weisse stars; observations of 

 Jupiter; weather service, 



Alabama University. — An astronomical observatory attached to 

 the University of Alabama, near Tuscaloosa, was comijleted in the sum- 

 mer of 1844. The building was originally 54 feet in length by 22 in 

 breadth in the center. In 1858 another apartment, 40 feet in length by 

 20 in width, was added to the east wing. The instruments consist of 

 a 4-inch transit circle of 5-feet focus by Siiuins, the circle being 3 feet 

 in diameter, divided to five minutes, and read by four microscopes to 

 single seconds; a clock by Molyueaux; an equatorial, also by Simms, of 

 8 inches aperture and 12 feet focus, provided with a filar micrometer 

 and double image micrometer, the hour circle being divided to one 

 second of time and thedeclinati(m circle to live seconds of arc, read by 

 opposite verniers. As an accessory to the equatorial theie is an excel- 

 lent clock by Dent. There are also two portable achromatic tele- 

 scopes — one by Dolland of 7 feet focal length and 4 inches ajierture, 

 the other by Simms of 5 feet focal length and 3 inches aperture — and 

 reflecting circle by Trough ton, of 10 inches aperture, read by three 

 verniers to twenty seconds. 



The observatory was built and the instruments pur(5liased and 

 mounted under the supervision of Prof, F. A, P, Barnard. A woodcut 

 of the building is given in number 15 of the publications of the Astro- 



