VOL. XL.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 153 



he cantiot at present pretend to do, not having met with an account of any 

 former Comet that seems likely to have been the same with this, a description of 

 which has been given particular enough to determine this point. 



2. The same observed at the Aventine Hill at Rome. By Didaco de Revillas 

 Abb. Hieronym. R. S. S. p. 118. From the Latin. 



Feb. 16, 1737, about 7 o'clock, p. m. the Comet appeared for the first 

 time in the western part of the heavens, 8 or 9 degrees lower than Venus, and 

 declining a little towards the south from her vertical circle. With the naked 

 eye nothing was perceived but a small whitish line, of a faint light : yet with a 

 very good telescope of Campani's, of 6 feet, besides the tail, which extended 

 to the opposite part from the sun, and appeared like a small line without the 

 telescope, was likewise espied the nucleus, though encompassed all round with 

 a thin atmosphere. As there was then no quadrant at hand, and not only a 

 fog intercepted, but the twilight deprived the view of the neighbouring fixed 

 stars, the apparent place of the Comet could not be determined for that night. 



From the l6th till the IQth, as also after the 25lh, there happened other im- 

 pediments, which prevented observations. And in the nights between 19 and 26, 

 the Abbe could not otherwise determine the apparent place of the Comet, than 

 by comparing the phenomenon with Venus; as he only employed a small qua- 

 drant, whose tube was scarcely an English foot in length. From the vertical 

 altitudes therefore, both of the Comet and Venus observed at the same time, 

 were collected the vertical differences of both, as below. 



3. Observations on the Comet, and of an Eclipse of the Sun, Feb. 18, 1736-7, 

 made at Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. By Dr. Kearsly, p. lig. 



Jan. 27, about 6 in the evenmg, Dr. K. saw a dull star, about 3 or 4 degrees 

 above Mercury, and a little to the southward of a vertical passing through him, 

 but took little notice of it then, not thinking of a Comet ; but by comparing 

 5 's place with the fixed stars, he afterwards thought it might be a Comet. — 

 On the 31st, about 6*^ SC" p.m. he took its distance from Venus, by a reflect- 

 ing instrument of Mr. Hadley's make, 14° 40'; but by a forestaff, 14° 50'; 



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