38 LIGHT SCIENCE FOR LEISURE HOURS. 



devoted to an expedition to Possession Island, a good 

 step would have been made towards providing for the 

 cost of such an expedition. 



The transit will end earliest at a place in south 

 latitude 64 47', and west longitude 114 37'. The 

 best station in this neighbourhood is that very place, 

 Possession Island, which affords the most favourable 

 opportunity for applying Halley's method. For at 

 Possession Island the transit will end 11J minutes 

 early. Next in value come several islands between 

 New Zealand and Victoria Land. It was originally 

 proposed to have an English observing party at Auck- 

 land or Wellington, New Zealand ; but the station 

 at present selected is Christ Church, where the 

 transit will end 9J minutes early. It is, in my 

 opinion, most unfortunate, that when Possession Island 

 affords the best station for the application of De- 

 lisle's method as well as Halley's, a station inferior 

 in both respects should be selected. Here again 

 expense might be saved which would go far towards 

 the preparation of an expedition (from New Zealand, 

 if need be) to winter in Possession Island. 



Lastly, the transit will end latest at a place in north 

 latitude 62 5', and east longitude 48 22'. Here the 

 Eussians are in great force, as Orsk, Omsk, Tobolsk, 

 and other Russian towns are very suitably placed. 

 The selected station for an English observing party is 

 Alexandria, where the transit begins late by about 10 

 minutes. The sun will only be about 14 degrees high 

 at the time, and a greater elevation would be preferable. 



