of the Atmosphere, and on the Peculiarities of Stars. 



335 



stars named in column 1. Thus the stars which I have put 

 above Capella in the column require a greater, and those be- 

 low him a less correction for 10° of altitude than 5' l^lO, 

 and probably in nearly the proportions indicated in the scale. 

 The particular methods I have used, both for obtaining the 

 spectra and for measuring the deviation of the extreme rays, 

 being one I believe of my own discovery, and which I am not 

 yet sufficiently confident in, — I do not at present think it ne- 

 cessary to disclose, because I intend to make it the subject of 

 a future communication. It has been overlooked, I am per- 

 suaded, from its simplicity, in consequence of that fatal though 

 common error of the human understanding, whereby we so 

 frequently dig deep for the discovery of objects that lie near 

 the surface and are overlooked. All I desire is, to learn from 

 those who have better means than I possess of making the 

 experiments, whether astronomical observations on those stars 

 which are conveniently situated for determining the refrac- 

 tion, shall be found to confirm or to refute what appears to 

 have been ascertained as probable from the employment of a 

 very different mode of investigation. 



Table. 



Observe : In the above table the quantities put down are 

 not asserted with any degree of positiveness, but are merely 

 submitted, as being what the measurements of the various 

 spectra seem to indicate. 



The 



