OP ARTS AND SCIENCES. 309 



When first seen on Sept. 25, 1878, it appeared as a long and 

 narrow form, with a slender, sharp point on its preceding side. The 

 time of the passage of this spot on the meridian, from its preceding to 

 its following extremity, was on that day 1'' 18". It retained this form 

 more or less exactly for a few days, but on Oct. 2 it had considerably 

 extended longitudinally, the narrow parallelogrammic form of its fol- 

 lowing side being prolonged on the preceding end by a very slender 

 and acute point ; the whole spot occupying apparently one half the 

 diameter of the disk, and its passage over the meridian, from end to 

 end, being 2*^ 15™. 



On Oct, 5 and 17 it was considerably shortened, and on Nov. 12 

 it was almost oval, with its preceding end pointed. On the con- 

 trary, on Nov. 24 its preceding end was cut square, while the following 

 was sharply pointed. On Nov. 29, the preceding end was rounded, 

 while the following was obliquely cut. 



On Dec. 16, the form of the red spot was found completely 

 changed, it having two large protuberant masses projecting from its 

 northern margin. One, the larger, was near the following end ; the 

 other, smaller, near the preceding end, which was pointed. On 

 Dec. 23, the spot had somewhat diminished in size, and had three 

 protuberances on its northern border, instead of two ; but they were a 

 little smaller than those of the 1 6th. The major axis of the red spot, 

 which, so far, had been parallel to the equatorial belt, was on that 

 day considerably tilted, and inclined to it 20° or 25°, its preceding 

 end being the nearest to the equator. On Dec. 28 and 30, the 

 spot had enlarged considerably, keeping, however, about the same 

 irregular shape, except that it was more pointed on the preceding 

 side, and that the three projections on its northern side were larger, 

 The axis-major of the spot had then resumed its parallelism with the 

 equatorial belt. 



On April 7, 1879, the red spot appeared elliptical, although very 

 little elongated ; while on May 25 its form was that of a very extended 

 narrow parallelogram having both ends slightly rounded. On July 5, 

 it was oval in shape, or rather egg-form, its preceding end being much 

 wider than the following. 



Between this last date and the middle of August, it was constantly 

 changing, but the changes were very slight. On Aug. 21, its preced- 

 ing end was forked or swallow-tailed, while the following was pointed. 

 On Aug. 28, it had a regular and beautiful oval form. On Dec. 8, 

 it appeared narrower and more extended longitudinally, its delicate 

 color having somewhat lost its purity. 



