150 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [anNO IJSJ. 



them being taken many days after the time of the perihelion, and the whole 

 series comprehending but a very small portion of the trajectory ; he was sensi- 

 ble, that a little error, either in the observations themselves, or in the places of 

 the fixed stars, with which the comet was compared, might occasion a con- 

 siderable difference in the situation and magnitude, &c. of the orbit, deduced 

 from them alone ; and therefore he was desirous of having some earlier and ac- 

 curate observations, to determine those elements with more certainty : but not 

 having yet been able to procure such, he no longer defers laying before the So- 

 ciety the particulars of his own, with the comparison between the observed 

 places of the comet, and those computed from such elements as he had already 

 collected from his own observations. 



Mr. B. first saw the comet on the 15th of February 1737, between 6 and 7 in 

 the evening, when its nucleus appeared small and indistinct, and its tail, extending 

 above a degree from the body, pointed towards the star in Lino Austral. Piscium, 

 marked g by Bayer. Applying the micrometer to a good 7-foot tube, he ob- 

 served, that at 7'' 32™, equal time, the comet preceded the said star 1° i' 40" 

 in right ascension, and was 20' 20" more southerly than the star. Note, That 

 the equal time is likewise made use of in all the following observations. 



Assuming the place of this star, as it is settled in the British Catalogue, as 

 he likewise does others hereafter mentioned, it follows, that the comet's right 

 ascension was 23° 58' O*, and its declination 1° 3l' 55" north. 



February 17, 7 hours 33 min. the comet followed a in Nodo Lin. Piscium 

 31 min. 25 sec. in right ascension, and was 52 min. 30 sec. more northerly. 

 Hence the comet's right ascension was 27 deg. 38 min. 20 sec. and its declina- 

 tion 2 deg. 21 min. 10 sec, north. 



February 18, 7*" 14™, a small star (whose right ascension was afterwards found 

 to be 29° O' 5", and declination 2° 58' 30" north) preceded the comet 24' O" in 

 right ascension, and was 15' 30" more northerly. Hence the comet's right 

 ascension was 29° 24' 5", and its declination 2° 34' O" north. 



February 21, 7^ 25", the comet preceded v Ceti 1° 6' 0'' in right ascension, 

 and was 38' 20" more southerly. Hence its right ascension was 34° 25' 10", 

 and its declination 3° 47' 20" north. 



February 22, 7^ 45*", the comet followed n Ceti 30' 5" in right ascension, 

 and was 18' 45" more southerly. Hence the comet's right ascension was 30° l' 

 15", and its declination 4° 6' 55" north. 



February 25, 7*^ 45", a small star (whose right ascension was afterwards 

 found to be 40° 34' O", and declination 5° 5' 30", north) followed the comet 2' 

 30" in right ascension, and was 2' 30" more northerly than the comet. Hence 

 the comet's right ascension was 40° 31' 30", and its declination 5° S'* 0" north. 



