84 
ard observations of right-ascensions for an adequate number 
of stars in each zone swept by the Mural Circle ; while this 
latter would in its turn give accurate declinations for @ 
sufficient number of stars to determine the zones observed 
with the Transit. The Meridian Circle, meanwhile, was to : 
go over the same ground independently, and thus all dis- 
cordances which might arise from inevitable errors of obser- 
vation would be satisfactorily disposed of. 
These zone-observations were begun early in 1846, and 
continued till 1850, and even later; and a large amount of 
material was thus collected. The zones observed during 
1846 with the Meridian Circle were reduced and published 
(under the superintendence of Mr. Ferauson of the Wash- 
ington Observatory) in 1860; a portion of the Mural zones 
for 1846 had been reduced under the superintendence of 
Professor Corriy before he left the Observatory, and . 
considerable amount of labor had been given by HuspBARD 
to the reduction of the Transit-zones for the same yes 
With these exceptions, nothing had been done toward the 
reduction, on the accession of the present Superintendent in 
1861; although in the mean time a similar investigation had 
been planned by Professor ARGELANDER, completely exe- 
cuted by him over all the practicable region south of Bessel’s 
limit, and with a single instrument, and the results published 
in 1852, under the title of “ Southern Zones.” 3 
But although the great labor bestowed by Corrin and 
Hvpparp on the arrangement and execution of this 
scheme proved in a great degree futile, — by reason of the 
neglect of the observations after they were made, by the 
loss of some of them, and by the 1eckless manner in which 
a large proportion of the work was done,—the value of 
the plan and ingenuity of the arrangement remain the same- ~ 
Had the valuable and delicate instruments, and the execution 
