420 PHILOSOPHICAX TRANSACTIONS. [anNO 1^87. 



fruits of his aBtronomical endeavours. It is chiefly designed to teach an accurate 

 method of calculus for eclipses, especially solar, where he makes use of the con- 

 templation of the constructions of them by the parallel of latitude supposed to be 

 projected into an ellipsis, which is here attributed to Mr. Cassini, though first 

 published in English by Mr. Flamsteed in Sir Jonas Moor's works, under the 

 title of The Doctrine of the Sphere, and there asserted to its first inventor, Sir 

 Christopher Wren. 



What is most considerable in this book is the large table of the longitudes 

 and latitudes of places, chiefly in France, which have been taken by the king's 

 order, with great exactness. 2. A table of the right ascensions and declinations 

 of 63 principal fixed stars, to the year l686 complete, deduced from new and 

 accurate observations. 3. An empirical table of the moon's equations in the 

 new and full ; deduced simply from observations of eclipses. 4. A correction of 

 the moon's motion, arising from the distance of the moon from the apogaeon 

 of the sun, or, which is the same, from the anomaly of the sun ; the discovery 

 of which is amply shown in the appendix to the catalogue of the southern stars, 

 published in London by E. Halley in the year 1679, and soon after translated 

 into French, and printed in Paris ; wherein is contained not only the form of 

 this equation of the lunar motions, but the very quantity, viz. ]3m. exactly as 

 Mr. De la Hire has it. And whereas Mr. De la Hire seems to conclude, that 

 this equation ceases in the quadratures, and is greatest in the new and full 

 moons, when he comes to the consideration of the lunar motions extra syzygias, 

 which is here promised, he will find it no less requisite in the quadratures than 

 in eclipses, several undoubted observations showing the necessity of it. 



Among the precepts for the use of the tables there is a pretty remark con- 

 cerning refractions, which this author says he has often experienced, viz. that 

 the beams of the stars being observed in a deep valley to pass near the brow of 

 the hill, are always more refracted than if there were no such hill, or the obser- 

 vation was made on the top of it ; as if the rays of light were bent downwards in 

 a curve, by passing near the surface of the mountain. 



The Report made to his Majesty by the Company of Parish Clerks of London^ 

 of the Number of Christenings and Burials in the Years \Q&6 and 1687. 



N° 191, p. 445. 



Anno 1686. Christened. Anno 1 687. Christened. 



Males 7575 Males 7737- 



Females 7119 Females .... 7^14. 



In all 14694 In all 14951. 



