176 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1727. 



Observations on the Comet thai appeared in October 17'23, made at Bombay; and 

 on an Eclipse of the Moon, Oct.1\, lyiA, at Gomroon in Persia. By Mr. 

 JVilliam Saunderson. Communicated by Dr. Halley, Astron. Re". F. R. S. 

 N°397, p. 213. 



In the month of October 1723, Mr. Saunderson riding at Bombay, a bright- 

 ness in the heavens appeared in a right line, or but very little to the eastward 

 of one, with Lyra and the bright star in the October. Distance from 



Eagle, being about 50" distant from the last ; the Eagle's 



and on Monday the 7th following, it had ad- j^"*^'. 4o°"'oo 



vanced 10° toward the Eagle, moving towards 2 ..lo .... 23 30 

 it in the forementioned direction, from the s. e. 3 . . ii — 20 30 



. . . ,- . 4 .. 13 17 40 



quarter. He took the annexed distances be- 5 ..15 u 40 



tween 9 and 10 at night. 6.. 19 11 40 



At first it looked only like one of the white spots called the magellanic clouds, 

 the space filling the field of a 6-foot glass. Afterwards he saw the head in the 

 centre of the illuminated space, which did not look with much brightness; but 

 appeared largest on the 1 0th of October, decreasing gradually both in its bulk 

 and motion from that time, until the 25th, at which time he could find no ap- 

 pearance of it with the forementioned glass. From the 20th to the 25th it had 

 nearly the same place in the heavens, seeming to move directly from the 

 earth. 



October 21, 1724, being at Gomroon in Persia, the moon entered into the 

 dark shadow or umbra of the earth, at 5** 1 1"* 33% ante meridiem. 



Concerning the Propagation of Misselto. By the Rev. Mr. Edmund Barrel, 

 Rector of Sutton in Kent. N" 397, p. 2)5. 



The berries of misselto have within their viscid pulp, a kernel covered with a 

 thin whitish skin ; the inner substance of which is deeply green, and harder 

 than the substance of a pistachio-nut's kernel. It is flattish, and shaped some- 

 times like a heart, sometimes oval ; both are as truly seed, as any plant can 

 have. Those of the oval shape put out but one germen ; those like a heart, 

 have two, which prove two distinct plants. 



Sir John Colebatch recommends the sowing this seed by way of inoculation : 

 accordingly in Feb. 17H,' Mr. Barrel endeavoured to place the berries within 

 the bark of oak, ash, beech, pear, and apple-trees, by making several cuts and 

 gashes in the upright sides of the trees. The whole berries would not stay in 

 any of them ; and when he broke them, the seed always slipped out to the edge 



