662 Chronicles of Science. [ Oct., 
side of the question, Professor Struve concludes that he must suspend 
judgment on the physical connection or merely optical juxtaposition 
of the small star until next year. In reference to this paper Mr. 
Dawes remarked that the star was visible in strong twilight, and he 
therefore conceived that it was not so very small in itself, but only 
appeared so in consequence of its proximity to the prodigiously bright 
star of which it was the companion. 
In an elaborate and important paper on the probable error of a 
meridional transit-observation by the “eye and ear,” and chrono- 
graphic methods, read by Mr. Dunkin at one of the recent meetings of 
the Society, he comes to the conclusion that the chronographic obser- 
vations of a transit are attended with much less probable error than 
an eye-and-ear observation; the personal discordances between the 
different observers are also comparatively small by the former method, 
and the general steadiness of observing by it is very remarkable. In 
the results for right ascension the probable error for chronographic 
transits is also much less. Some discussion followed the reading of 
this paper. 'The president, Dr. De la Rue, referred to an improve- 
ment upon a proposal made some time ago by Professor Wheatstone 
for increasing the accuracy of transit observations. This was that a 
system of wires should be arranged in the transit instrument, which, 
when the star was brought between them, should follow its movement ; 
and when the star passed the optical axis of the instrument or any 
number of known points from that axis, then the chronographic signal 
would be made by the wires making electrical contact, so that a number 
of records would be obtained independent of the will of the observer. 
Col. Strange mentioned that the Paris astronomers had expressed 
themselves decidedly against the chronographic method ; he did not, 
however, agree with this, and had therefore, with the sanction of the 
Government, ordered a complete chronographic apparatus for the use 
of the Indian survey. Col. Strange further remarked that Professor 
Wheatstone’s suggestion of having a telescope so constructed that the 
star should be automatically followed over the wires had already been 
carried out. When at the Paris Observatory, he had examined an 
apparatus of this description made by M. Redier ; the wire was carried 
so steadily across the field, so exactly with the same velocity as the 
passage of the star, that the intersection of that star with the wire was 
a matter of the most perfect ease and certainty ; in fact, there was 
ample time for the observer to call an assistant to verify the observa- 
tion before leaving the instrument. Mr. Dunkin in reply to the 
opinion that the chronographic system tended to produce bad eye-and- 
ear observers, remarked, that at the Royal Observatory, observers, who 
had practised the chronographic system for ten years, could still, when 
the apparatus was out of order, take eye-and-ear observations with as 
much accuracy as formerly. 
The appearances of the solar surface are still attracting great 
attention. The Rev. W. R. Dawes speaks very decidedly as to the 
total absence of any objects on the photosphere which could be com- 
pared to willow-leaves in their form. He has for many years been 
familiar with granulations or granules of forms and sizes so various as 
