32 REPORT—1857. 
Admiral Smyth by Tulley, is only 3} inches, and the object-glass of the Radcliffe 
equatoreal is 7} inches. The planet was seen again in the evening of the 22nd of 
August with the Radcliffe equatoreal, but exceedingly faint; and on the evening of 
the 23rd, it was again seen with the Smythian refractor, and it appeared but a very 
little fainter with the latter than with the former; which fact may serve to put 
amateur astronomers on their guard in the purchase of object-glasses, and as evidence 
that the largest object-glasses are not necessarily the best. 
On the Results of Measurements of y Virginis for the Epoch 1857. By Rear- 
Admiral Smyta, D.C.L., F.RuS. (Communicated by Dr. Lex, F.R.S.) 
The fine double star y Virginis, to which Admiral Smyth has for some years 
devoted much attention, is one of the most remarkable specimens of a binary system 
in the sidereal regions, the history of which is fully related both in his work ‘ The 
Celestial Cycle,’ and the ‘ Aides Hartwellianz.’ It has been very assiduously 
watched by the best astronomers of the age, and its motions so clearly ascertained, 
as to offer sufficient phenomena to induce a conviction that the Newtonian law of 
gravitation obtains in the remote stellar regions. Besides the Hartwell observations, 
the latest series of which are here presented, this epoch 1857 has been also watched 
by the Astronomer Royal, Mr. Airy ; and by the Rev. W. R. Dawes, of Haddenham ; 
and by Lord Wrottesley, at his well-conducted observatory, near Wolverhampton ; 
and by Mr. Isaac Fletcher, of Tarn Bank, Workington. For a confirmation of the 
merits of Admiral Smyth, I might refer to Lord Wrottesley, to whom the public are 
indebted, not only for his attentions to the orbit of this star, but also for his import- 
ant Catalogue of Stars, as well as for the services which he has rendered to this 
Association as President of the Royal Society. 
On certain Electrical Phenomena in the United States. By Professor Loomis. 
Atmospheric electricity is very abundant in the United States, and often exhibits 
phenomena more remarkable than are witnessed in most of the countries of Europe, 
especially in England and Germany. These phenomena are not confined to any 
particular season of the year; but the exhibitions in summer appear under a dif- 
ferent form from those of winter. In summer, free electricity exhibits itself chiefly 
in the form of lightning during thunder-storms; and these exhibitions are often among 
the most sublime and impressive phenomena witnessed in any part of the globe. The 
telegraph wires are exceedingly sensitive to the approach of a thunder-storm. The 
wires are often charged with electricity, from the effects of a storm so distant that 
no thunder is heard or lightning seen. 1 have often stood at such times in a tele- 
graph office, and introduced my own body into the electric circuit, by taking hold of 
a telegraph wire with one hand, and with the other hand grasping a wire which 
communicated with the earth. A frequent twinge is felt in the arms and sometimes 
through the breast. The shock is pungent and painful, even when scarcely the 
slightest spark can be obtained by bringing the two wires nearly in contact. Such 
experiments are unsafe when the electric cloud is near. If, during the passage of a 
thunder-shower, the telegraph apparatus is left in communication with the long tele- 
graph wires, the fine wires of the electro-magnets are almost sure to be melted, and 
the magnets thereby rendered useless. Sometimes, in telegraphic offices, there occurs 
an explosion, which melts large wires and is dangerous to human life. The effect 
of a feeble current of atmospheric electricity on the telegraph wires is the same as 
of a current from a galvanic battery. It makes a dot on the telegraph register ; and 
when a thunder-storm passes in the neighbourhood of a telegraph line, those dots are 
of constant occurrence; and being interposed between the dots of the telegraph 
operators, they render the writing confused and often illegible. The operators are ~ 
therefore commonly compelled to abandon their work when a thunder-shower pre- 
vails in the vicinity of any part of the line. 
The aurora borealis is very common in the United States, even in summer; but, 
on account of the long-continued twilight, it is seldom witnessed with such brilliancy © 
in summer as in winter. During winter, thunder-storms in the United States are of 
very rare occurrence ; but even at this season they are not entirely unknown. Some- 
