22 



made their monuments grand in proportion to their love and 

 respect for the deceased. 



At the conchision of the lecture, Mr. F. C. J. Spurrell, F.G.S., 

 made some remarks on the method of making flint weapons, and 

 exhibited, in ilhistration of tlie manufacture, a collection of palaeo- 

 lithic and neolithic knapping tools, hammers, and flakes, as well as 

 some imperfect and perfect haches, &c. 



TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7th. 



A short account of the great Comet of 1882 was given by the 

 Astronomer Royal, W. H. M. Christie, Esq., F.R.S., y.P.R.A.S., 

 Member of the Council of the Association. 



The great Comet of 1882 was first observed by Dr. Gould, 

 of Cordoba, on Sept. 6th. It was also discovered independently 

 by Mr. Einlay at the Cape on Sept. 8th, in Australia on Sept. 9th, 

 and by Mr. Common at Eahng on the 17th. In the Southern 

 Hemisphere a number of satisfactory observations of its position 

 were obtained before the perihelion passage on Sept. 17th. 



The Comet seems to be pursuing very nearly the path of that 

 of 1843, and that of 1880, though so quick a return of the Comet 

 of 1880 seems hardly to be reconciled with the orbit of that comet. 

 It is, however, just possible that in its near approach to the Sun, 

 the Comet of 1880 was so entangled in the solar atmosphere that 

 its path was changed to one of short period. It passed within 

 about 300,000 miles of the surface of the Sun (two-thirds of the 

 Sun's radius), and must •in consequence have experienced con- 

 siderable retardation. The Comet of 1843 also passed very close 

 to the Sun, and it is not improbable that it broke into two frag- 

 ments — that known as the Comet of 1880 and that of 1882. The 

 determination of the orbit of the Comet of 1882 has been attended 

 with great difficulties, owing to its proximity to the Sun when in 

 perihelion. 



