the Scintillation of the Stars. 217 
1856, during the time I was staying at the hospital for scientific 
purposes. 
Grand Cairo, where Mahmoud Effendi, Director of the Ob- 
servatory there, has already commenced, or will immediately com- 
mence, a series of observations analogous to my own at Morges. 
The Peak of Teneriffe, where Mr. Piazzi Smyth, Director of 
the Observatory of Edinburgh, has already passed several months 
for scientific purposes. This gentleman has promised me, that 
if, as he hopes, he is able to continue his researches on this 
isolated mountain, he will give special attention to the study of 
the scintillation of the stars. 
Several localities in Russia.—Last year the Geographical Society 
of St. Petersburgh decided on publishing instructions for the 
observation of all kinds of meteorological phenomena, and M. 
Kaémtz, who was charged with the direction of the publication, 
requested me to draw up the part relating to the scintillation ; so 
that I have reason to believe that in various parts of Russia, 
observations in accordance with these instructions have already 
been commenced. 
Havanna, where M. Poey has founded an observatory during 
the past year. This gentleman, with a view to observing the 
scintillation at Havanna after my method, requested me to for- 
ward him a copy of the instructions already sent to Russia; so 
that there also, I hope, the work is begun. But these stations 
are very wide apart on the surface of the globe. 
There are certain countries and certain climates from which 
it is most desirable that observations should be taken ; for in- 
stance, the Torrid Zone, as the observations taken at Havanna are 
the only ones within the tropics. It would be well to have several 
stations in various parts, as it is important to know what is the 
amount of scintillation in the hottest and dampest countries in 
the world. In the Austral Hemisphere also, observations would 
be extremely valuable, because there not only would the student 
have the opportunity of observing stars invisible to us (Acherner 
and Campus among others), but the meteorological phenomena, 
-being notably different, would doubtless sensibly affect the scin- 
tillation. Those beautiful stars of our own hemisphere also, 
Sirius and Rigel, which we see only in winter, are visible south 
of the equator during the hot season, and are also nearer the 
zenith ; and it would be interesting to know if their scintillation 
is at all affected by these circumstances, 
In countries situated to the extreme north, it would also be 
extremely interesting and important to procure observations, and 
to ascertain the amount of scintillation in those serene mghts of 
intense frost so constant in Eastern Siberia and even in European 
Russia. 
