279 



By nitric acid it is converted into binoxalato of ammonia. When 

 heated, it melts at above 400° F., and on cooling, concretes to a 

 crystalline mass, or sometimes takes the form of a pillared solid 



mass. 



The paper concludes with a tabular list of the compounds described 

 in it, with their formulae. 



2. On a Revision of the Catalogue of Stars of the British 

 Association. By Captain W. S. Jacob, H.E.I.C, Astro- 

 nomer at Madras. Communicated by Professor C Piazzi 

 Smyth. 



After a brief allusion to the importance of catalogues of stars in 

 general, as the foundation of exact astronomy, the circumstances 

 connected with the publication of the important Catalogue of Sters 

 by the British Association were mentioned. 



Many of the materials were well known to be imperfect at the 

 time of printing, but that step, it was thought, would strongly induce 

 all astronomers to improve the defective portions. 



This has since been found to be the case extensively, and the pre- 

 sent paper is an important contribution to that end. 



After mentioning his practical methods of ensuring the greatest 

 possible accuracy, Captain Jacob describes the result of an examina- 

 tion of 1503 out of the 8377 stars of which the Catalogue of the Asso- 

 ciation consists, and states that the large number 55 are altogether 

 missing in the sky, that 71 differ from their computed places by 

 more than 2 sec. of time, or 10" of N.P.D. ; but that the rest 

 are all very exact, seldom differing by more than 02 of a second 



of time. 



Some of the above cases of large difference, he thinks caused by 

 proper motion, and recommends further observations at a future 

 period, to settle the question. 



3. Notice of Ancient Moraines in the ^.rishes of Strachur 

 and Kilmun, Argyleshire. By Charles Maclaren, F.R.S.E. 



The Brst of the moraines referred to is in Glensluan, a valley 

 near Strachur, about two miles and a half in length, and two-thirds 

 of a mile in breadth. It is bounded on the east, west, and south 



z 2 



