G@rscie *) 
VII—NOTES ON THE ASPECT OF THE PLANET MARS IN! 1884. ACCOM- 
PANIED BY SKETCHES MADE AT THE OBSERVATORY, BIRR CASTLE, 
By OTTO BOXDDICKER, Pu.D. With Plate VI. 
{Communicated by the Earl of Rosse. Read, June 16, 1884.] 
Owi1ne to unusually unfavourable weather, it was not until the 24th of February, 
or twenty-one days after the opposition, that some sketches of the planet Mars 
could be obtained ; and only on six more nights—viz., March 10, 17, 22, 23, and 
April 1, 2—was the air steady and transparent enough to admit of further draw- 
ings. Thus altogether only thirteen sketches could be made, which are reproduced 
on Plate VI., arranged according to the longitudes of their central meridians. 
The instrument employed was the reflector of three feet aperture. 
Below are given the notes made during observing, and a few remarks sug- 
gested by a comparison of my sketches with Signor Schiaparelli’s charts of 1879 
and 1882. 
Plate VI., Fig. 1.—1884, March 23—1. L=12°6. Power, 144. 
Clear, but exceedingly difficult. Sketch unfinished. Southern spots uncer- 
tain; northern ones better. The division in the northern spot at times 
very distinct. 
Plate VI., Fig. 2.—1884, Mareh 22—1. L=24°-9. Power, 144. 
Plate VI., Fig. 3.—1884, March 22—2. L=28°3. Power, 216. 
Misty, but very steady ; passing clouds. The dark spots blue; difficult. 
The round white spot immediately following the disc-centre on the first 
drawing very bright. The division in the southern spot very difficult. 
I considered, finally, the second drawing a better representation of it. 
Plate VI., Fig. 4.—1884, March 23—2. L=38°0. Power, 144 and 216. 
Clear, but exceedingly difficult. Southern spots only caught in glimpses, 
yet on the whole correct ; northern spot surprisingly dark. 
On the first of these four drawings—which represent very nearly the same 
hemisphere—there is faintly indicated the Sabaeus Sinus, Deucalionis Regio, 
TRANS. ROY, DUB. SOC., N.S. VOL. II. 2R 
