105 



Ordinary Meeting, April 1st, 1873. 



K Angus Smith, Ph.D., F.R.S., Vice-President, in the 



Chair. 



Mr. J. S. Kipping and Mr. J. Sidebotham were appointed 

 Auditors of the Treasurer's Accounts. 



" Note on an Observation of a small black spot on the 

 Sun's disc," by Joseph Sidebotham, F.RA.S, 



As there is again some speculation as to the existence oi 

 an intra-mercurial planet, and every little fact bearing on 

 the subject may be of value, I have referred to my diary 

 and find that on Monday, March 12th, 1849, our late mem- 

 ber Mr. G. C Lowe and I saw a small circular black spot 

 cross a portion of the sun's disc. We were trying the 

 mounting and adjustments of a 7-inch reflector we had been 

 making, and used an ink box between the eye-piece and the 

 plane speculum. At first we thought this small black spot 

 was upon the eye-piece, but soon found it was on the sun's 

 disc, and we watched its progress across the disc for nearly 

 half an hour. The only note in my diary is the fact of the 

 spot being seen — no time is mentioned, but if I remember 

 rightly it was about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. 



Mr. Baxendell, on behalf of Mr. Sidebotham, F.RA.S., 

 exhibited a knife, the blade of which is steel, the bush at 

 the handle brass, and the handle itself copper, all coated 

 with nickel, beautifully polished. In a letter which Mr. 

 Sidebotham had received from Professor Hamilton L. Smith, 

 of Hobart College, Geneva, N. Y., the writer suggests tlie 

 use of iron or bell metal specula, coated with nickel, for 

 reflecting telescopes. He says, " I ground and prepared a 

 bell metal speculum, which I coated with nickel, and this, 

 PEOCEEDiNgs — Lit. & Phil. Society. — Vol.XII. — Xo 10. — Session 1872-3. 



