jferoUthSf and Notices of Comets. 205 



rafe and direction of apparent motion, the Right ascension and 

 declination, or if not these, the longitude and latitude referred 

 to the ecUplic, or the polar distance of the phsenomenon ob- 

 served, Thev give, at least, two such observations to the peri- 

 odical publications, at more or less distance as circumstances may 

 render expedient; these are early given, and with promptitude 

 inserted. And if they add the popular description by co?islella' 

 lions, they do not say in Andromeda, Heiailes, Orion, or Draco, 

 or Cygnus, simply; but in what part of the constellation, or near 

 what known principal star or between two such, or in a triangu- 

 lar, equilateral, orequiunial; an acute <»r obtuse angle with such 

 or such stars, instead of leaving such an enormous scope for un- 

 certaintv as renders the description as to those vast constellations, 

 of hardly a\iy use. — While in our papers the earliest notice of 

 such phaennmena for the most part is many weeks later, and the 

 original aiticle I fear generally very imperfectly and vaguely ab- 

 stracted. 



With two such observations as the foreign papers were accus- 

 tomed to give, the plane of the ascending and consequently of 

 the descending node, rota of mean apparent motion, place and 

 time of coming to the peiihelion were all accessible to a common 

 observer, sufficiently near in general to trace its path on a great 

 circle of the glol'e, or a line drawn on a chart of the heavens^ 

 from which it would not sensibly differ, unless perhaps near the 

 end, and thus to anticipate its visible path, and where to find it 

 on a particular day. 



'I'he comet seen by Professor Oilers, 1 Nov. last, is probably 

 the same with that which our papers say was observed by Mr. 

 Du Pons at Marseilles, and Mr. Blanpain at Paris, in Dec. 

 and June last. But the statement which I have seen is so vague 

 as to be no guide whatever. It might have been passing from 

 its ascending node to its perihelion northward, or soutliAvard 

 from its descending node, and where to look lor it is left equally 

 at randpm. 



I have observed some nights a cometary appearance between 

 Betelgaeze and Procyra, unequally nehulose, with a brighter 

 speck tiot in the centre, about from 12' to 16' in length, and about 

 8' in width. 1 take it to be in the 7iostril of Monoceros. I find 

 710 neiula or cluster rcgij-tered very near that situation : with the 

 nebula not at all near it I am pretty well acquainted. Between 

 27th Fel). and 9th March inclusive, 1 think it seems to have ad- 

 vanced about 2" in R. A. from about 93°; but for want of requisite 

 astronomical apparatus I am uncertain. This intimation may 

 lead perhaps to better intelligence. 



I remain, sir, yours sincerel)', 



Capel LoFrr. 



Mav 



