[ 44] 
X. Trial of the Meridian Circle, made by ReicHensacn for 
the Observatory at Konigsberg. By M. Besser *. 
I HOPED to be enabled to furnish you with a complete account 
of the observations hitherto made with the meridian circle of 
Reichenbach ; but several examinations (which appear to me to 
he necessary) have not yet been completed ; partly on account 
of the very bad weather in this year, and partly on account of the 
Jate arrival of a particular microscopical apparatus which Privy 
Counsellor Prstor has net only admirably contrived, but also 
correctly executed for me. This apparatus has been in my pos- 
session about a month, and I have already attained by it the ob- 
ject [ had in view: but, there are still some things which I must 
ascertain before I can assert that my declinations are so correctly 
deterinined as this beautiful instrament seems capable of doing. 
I could, indeed, produce many observations, such as the instru- 
ment has given them; and I could add that several improve- 
ments (which are not yet made) wil! be very trifling, and that I 
might even effect them by approximation: but yet all my data 
would be only preliminary, and these appear to me to be little in- 
teresting, since we already possess several similar data which 
want, more or less, the required confidence. I shall therefore, 
for the present, pass over the declinations in total silence. 
On the other hand, J have completed a very severe trial of the 
instrument in regard to the Right Ascensions ; which I shail give 
in the Oth part of my Observations, now in the press: and I shall 
there prove that, from the natnre of the instrument and its cor- 
tecting property, no constant error can arise. ‘This part of the 
ohservations | consider therefore to be already completed, with 
the exception of what may properly be called the accidental 
errors of observation ; which, in comparison with the mean con- 
stant errors, are of né importance, and which. moreover appear 
clearly enough f-om the observations themselves. I think there- 
fore that I may venture to give you some results. 
Mr. Ponp has given, in the Nautical Almanac for 1823, a 
new catalogue of the right ascensions of the principal stars for 
1820, founded on some solar observations of his own. These 
being reduced to the year 1815 (by comparing their proper mo- 
tions ewrith the catalogue for 1759) we have the following dif- 
ferences between his values and mine. I should, however, pre-~ 
viously remark that I have altered the double star « Geminorum 
0,20; Mr. Pow having-observed the second of the two stars. 
whilst 1 observe the mean of the two: and moreover that there 
is in the above-mentioned Nautical Almanac an obvious error 
of 1” in the place of « Scorpii. 
* From Bode's Astronomische Jahrbuch for 1824, page 232. 
y Pegasi 
