19© Tranjit of MercuY^. 



and the body of the fun appearing pretty (Icady, I bcgati td* 

 take forme diftances with a micrometer I had previoudy ap- 

 plied to the telefcope for that purpofe. Upon trial, however, 

 I found the fun's limb fo very tremulous, that I could take 

 but few meafures fo fatisfattorily as I wifhed : thofe which I 

 can chiefly depend upon, I have here fele£led and reduced, 

 by which it appears the ncareft approach of Mercury to the 

 fun's centre, was at 3ih. 13' 38" apparent time, when Mer- 

 cury's centre was 59 "8" north of the fun's centre. 



Apparent Time. Dift. Centres. O & $ 



20'^ S6' 2-6" 1' 58 6" 



21 6 10*9 I ii*i 



21 8 25-5 1 4'9 



21 39 .50-3 2 407 



21 45 29-3 3 153 



21 46 16-3 3 19-0 

 21 50 ^'S . _ 3 ..404 

 Internal contaft - at 



External contaft - at 



9, • i ^PP''^''^"^ time. 



The above times and obferved diftances are reduced to the 

 meridian of St. Paul's church, latitude 51° 30' 49", long. 

 33' I " weft. 



The internal contaft was alfo obferved in long. 19'34", 

 weft lat. 51" 31 ' ']'' at 23h. 57' iS-S''', which reduced to the 

 time of my obfervation gives 23h. 57^ \%-()" apparent time. 

 The srenlleman who made this obfervation informs me that 

 the iioufe in which he was fitaated was in fuch a continual 

 fliake from carriages paffing by, that he could not be certain 

 of the contaft to Jefs than a few feconds; alfo that the me- 

 thod by which he got his time was by equal altitudes taken 

 under the like difagreeable circumftances. 



TO THE EDITOR. 



Refpefted Friend, 

 • I mud beor room for a few lines to obviate any offence to a 

 refpeftable body by the erroneous addition of F. L. S. to my 

 name, which I meet with in p. ^^ of laft Magazine. I am 

 neither fellow nor aflbciate of the Linnn?an Society, and, 

 notwithllandingr the infertion of a little piece, which has 

 been favourably received by that body in iheir laft volume of 

 Tranfaitions, am nor, nor have been, a candidate for a place 

 therein. Thy fineere Friend, 



L. Howard. 



We are forry to have made the miftake alluded to by 

 Jilr. Howard. It arofe from a very natural aflbciation of 



ideas. 



