Astronomical Notices. 395 



of the catalogue (ii)tended to be published in every alternate hum- 

 ber of our work) will contain from 300 to 400 stars each, ac- 

 cording to circumstances, and will occupy each about nine or ten 

 pages. 



U'e believe but few astronomers will be found in this countrv, 

 who are not fully satisfied that a publication of such tables "is 

 much wanted, since what we possess already of English produc- 

 tion in this line sinks into insignificance, compared with, the la- 

 bours of foreign observers. The foreign publications of this kind 

 are all very expensive; and what is still worse, the most important 

 of them all, and that which will form the base of the New Cata- 

 logue, can hardly be procured at any price. It cannot be doubted 

 that many persons in this country, who are fond of exploring the 

 heavens, are prevented from turning their observations to any 

 good purpose, for want of a sufficiently accurate and comprehen- 

 sive catalogue of stars to assist their comparisons. The intended 

 catalogue will furnish this desideratum. 



A correspondent speaking of Mr.Utting's Tables, published in 

 our recent Numbers, expresses himself thus :— " The Tables fur- 

 nished by Mr.Utting relating to the Right Ascension and Declina- 

 tion of the Sun, I consider extremely valuable, as they are more 

 accurate than any I know of in print. It is a pity, however, that 

 he has assumed the secular diminution of obliquity, so much 

 greater than is novy known to be the true value. It'would, per- 

 haps, have been better to have given the Variations corresponding 

 to a diininution of 60", after the example of Mayer." 



The Editor has also the satisfaction to announce that Mr. 

 IJttiiig has sent him some other curious and interesting Tables, 

 relating to the SolarSystem, partly founded on the numbers given 

 by.M. Laplace, as revised in the 4th edition of his Systtme du 

 Monde, and which will be published in our succeeding Numbers. 



To the Editor of the Philosophical Magazine. 

 Sir,— I cannot refrain from making a few remarks on the sub- 

 ject of ^. N.'s inquiry in your March Number, p 234, respecting 

 Danssy's Tables of Vesta. I admit the conciseness of the instruc- 

 tions is attended with considerable chance of error in applying 

 them ; yet I conceive that no difficulty can arise, which may not 

 be removed by a little consideration, on the part of auv one who 

 is acquainted with the construction of such tables. The fact is, 

 that the Ej:litors have thought fit to print the Arguments to the 

 Table of E(|uatioiis with fewer places of figures in many instances, 

 than in the Table of Epochs. Tiiis is unusual ; and therefore, 

 to prevent mistakes, they ought to have distinctly advertised the 

 computer, how many figures (to the right hand) were to be 

 struck off, in each particular case. Thus, among the perturbations 



3 D 2 in 



