178 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [ANNO 1797. 



all the constellations and number of the stars of the same catalogue, with large 

 blank spaces to each of them, being provided, an entry of the page where Flam- 

 steed's observation is to be found, was made in its proper place. If the star observed 

 was not in the British catalogue, it was marked as such in the margin of the ob- 

 servations; and being provided with another book of constellations and numbers, it 

 was entered into the blank space belonging to some known preceding or following 

 star, by which its place had been settled. The Greek and English letters used by 

 Flamsteed, whether they were such as had been introduced before, or which he 

 thought it expedient to add to them at the time of observation, were also entered 

 in their proper places; and to complete the whole, the magnitude affixed to the 

 stars was also joined to the entry made in the blank spaces of the index. 



I have been so far particular in giving the method by which the index has been 

 constructed, that it may appear what confidence ought to be given to the conclu- 

 sions which will be drawn from its report. About 3 or 4 examples of its use, will 

 completely show how the results, which will be mentioned, have been obtained. 

 Suppose I wish to be informed of the particulars relating to the 13th Arietis. By 

 the index I am referred, in the column allotted for that star, to 77 observations; 

 and find that Flamsteed used the letter a 72 times, and that in 2 places he calls it a 

 star of the 2d magnitude; the rest of the observations being without any estima- 

 mation of its brightness. If it be required to know Flamsteed's observations on 

 the 34th Tauri, which star is supposed to have been the Georgian planet, mistaken 

 by Flamsteed for a small fixed star*; we find in our index, that on page 86, De- 

 cember 13, 1690, a star of the 6th magnitude was observed, which answers to the 

 place of the 34th Tauri in the British catalogue; and that no other observation of 

 the same star occurs in the 2d volume. In my catalogue of comparative bright- 

 ness, the 34th Tauri is set down among the lost stars, it being no longer to be 

 seen in the place where it was observed by Flamsteed. 



; If in my review of the heavens I cannot find 38 Leonis, and examine this index, 

 I am at once informed that Flamsteed never observed such a star; and that of con- 

 sequence it has been inserted in the British catalogue by some mistake or other. In 

 many cases, these mistakes may be easily traced, as has been shown with regard to 

 this star in my 2d catalogue of comparative brightness. See the note to 38 Leonis. 

 When we wish to examine 90 Ceti in the heavens, and cannot find it, we are in- 

 formed by our index, that 90 Ceti is the same star with J Eridani; and that con- 

 sequently we are not to look out for 2 different stars. 



We may now proceed to give some general results that are to be obtained from 

 an inspection of our index. They are as follow. 11 1 stars inserted in the British 

 catalogue have never been observed by Flamsteed. This will explain why so many 

 stars in the heavens seem to have been lost. There are 39 stars in the same cata- 

 logue that want considerable corrections in right-ascension or polar-distance. In 

 many it amounts to several degrees. 54 stars more, besides the 39 that are taken 

 * See Astronomishes Jahr-Buch for 1789, page 202. — Orig. 



