AT THE OBSERVATORY AT PARAMATTA. 



79 



Mean Right Ascensions. 



Before the conjunction the superior culminations take place immediately 

 after noon of the given, but after conjunction immediately before noon of the 

 next following day ; but in the above Table they have been reduced to, and 

 placed opposite to the days nearest the noon whereon they had been observed. 



I remark again that my object in observing equal altitudes was to have a 

 check upon the transit, by a method independent of the errors arising from 

 impei-fections of the latter instrument, which were the more dangerous as, in- 

 clining all towards the same side, their apparent consistency made it difficult 

 to discover their cause, and to subject them to mathematical laws, which we 

 shall endeavour to do hereafter. Although observations of equal altitudes 

 will deviate more on each side of their mean, this mean may be nearer the 



