440 REPORT—1840. 
and arranging the residues (which would have been otherwise 
too small), so as to improve the first corrections. The acci- 
dental irregularities of the observations, being of course also 
magnified, gave me a very irregular line to work from ; not- 
withstanding which, I believe the attempt at improvement by 
approximation has been as successful in this instance as it has 
proved on former occasions. 
“You will perceive that the curves of Lunar Declination 
° 
| a are almost exactly similar to the curves of Lunar Parallax 
rel 
{ * \ 3 the effects of the Jarger declinations agreeing with 
those of the smailer parallaxes, and the curves crossing each 
other at almost exactly the same nodal points, viz. 33" and 8235 
of transit. 
«There is not the same agreement between the solar curves of 
declination and parallax ; yet it is observable that neither of 
these pairs of curves produces a loop, as the lunar curves do ; 
the curve of 22 (large) declinations, like that of 8!'-45 (small) 
parallax, always keeping above the other, except at the hour of 
84, where the curves touch, but do not cross. 
“The points at the middle of each hour of transit were laid 
down, without any alteration, from the differences of the two 
parcels of observations, after taking theaverages. Thestraightness 
of the axis is arbitrary. 
“The magnitude of the corrections is quite as great as could 
be expected from observations which do not themselves ave- 
rage more than about five minutes. 
‘The great difference of effects corresponding to the maximum 
and minimum of solar parallax, would lead to a suspicion that 
meteorological causes were concerned in producing them; the 
maximum and minimum of solar parallax nearly coinciding with 
midwinter and midsummer. Such causes cannot, however, ex- 
plain the forms assumed by the curves corresponding with the 
arrangements of the observations for the maxima and minima 
of lunar parallax and declination; especially the former, 
which is more clearly independent of weather or season. There 
is also a diurnal inequality plainly to be seen in many parts of 
the curve of observation, which cannot arise from merely local 
or meteorological causes. 
**T shall be very glad to know what you think of these curves, 
and how they bear on the theory. I am quite satisfied that 
they very nearly represent any agreement that exists between the 
observations and the arguments to which they have been referred. 
I shall also be glad to be informed of any results which you may 
