6 Anniversary Meeting. [Dec. 1, 



The present appears, however, to be a proper opportunity for inviting 

 the attention of the Society to the progress of Sciences, of the same class 

 as those which it specially adopts for the subject of its own labours, in 

 the external world. 



Commencing with Astronomy. It is very gratifying to Gravitational 

 Astronomers to learn that M. Le Verrier has communicated to the French 

 Academic des Sciences (I believe in extenso) his theories of Jupiter and 

 Saturn. In Cometary Astronomy, the most striking fact is the unexpected 

 meteor-shower which occurred on November 27th, 1872. Professor 

 Klinkerfues telegraphed the report of this shower and its apparent 

 course to Mr. Pogson at Madras ; and Mr. Pogson, directing his telescope 

 in that line, discovered a comet receding from the earth, and (appa- 

 rently beyond doubt) the representative of the meteor-shower. The 

 course of this comet is so near to that of the lost Biela's comet as to 

 make it probable that it is really the same. Dr. Huggins some time 

 since found, from spectroscopic observations, traces of carbon in the 

 composition of comets ; this has been verified by Herr Yogel and Mr. 

 Plummer in observations of comets in the present year. Dr. Huggins 

 has employed the telescope supplied by this Society in scrutinizing seven 

 nebulae for discovery of motion or change, and in observations of their 

 spectra, with the view of ascertaining their apparent motion to or from 

 our system ; and facility has been given to this research by the proxi- 

 mity of a spectral line of the nebulae to a line in the lead-spectrum : 

 the results have not indicated any discoverable motion. Father Secchi 

 has remarked the sudden appearance of a brilliant point in the sun, 

 which gave reversion of spectral lines, indicating ignition, with such 

 a distortion of a line as appears to show that the igneous matter ap- 

 proached us ; that is, that there was explosion. On the constitution of 

 the sun there has been much controversy. The Transit of Venus 

 December 8th, 1874, has engaged much attention. The Russian Go- 

 vernment is preparing to equip twenty-seven stations, all on land. 

 The American Government proposes to establish three stations in the 

 north and four or five in the south. The British original scheme of five 

 stations has been extended, contingently, to eight : two being regarded 

 as subordinate to Honolulu, for strengthening that important station ; 

 and one, at Heard Island (if information expected from the * Challenger ' 

 shall report it practicable), or at a second point of Kerguelen's Island, 

 for strengthening that of Christmas Harbour. The French Government 

 has proposed to establish five stations, and the German Government four. 

 Some of our colonies and colonial observatories are taking up the matter 

 with interest. It is understood that Lord Lindsay is preparing a well- 

 equipped private expedition to the Mauritius. For ocular observation, 

 the largest telescopes are about 6 inches aperture ; with some of these, 

 double-image measures of cusps, &c. are proposed, either by helio- 

 meter, or by an eyepiece arranged by me many years ago. For photo- 



