16 REPORT—1862., 
prisingly well from night to night, while the former exhibit discordances of consider- 
able amount. This it is difficult to account for, except on the supposition that the 
snowy cap before referred to may have had some influence in distracting the eye 
from the real borders of the images in making the contacts. Still, on the whole, the 
measures all agree in establishing a measurable ellipticity, and Mr. Main intended to 
continue them at every opportunity during the present opposition, with the utmost 
care and caution. 
On some Peculiar Features in the Structure of the Sun’s Surface. 
By J. Nasmyru. 
The author gave a short sketch of the character of the sun’s surface as at pre- 
sent known. lie described the spots as gaps or holes, more or less extensive, in the 
luminous surface or photosphere of the sun. These exposed the totally dark nucleus 
of the sun; over this appears the mist surface—a thin, gauze-like veil spread over 
it. Then came the penumbral stratum, and, over all, the luminous stratum, which 
he had discovered was composed of a multitude of very elongated, lenticular-shaped, 
or, to use a familiar illustration, willow-leaf-shaped masses, crowded over the pho- 
tosphere, and crossing one another in every possible direction. The author had pre- 
ared and exhibited a diagram, pasting such elongated slips of white paper over a 
sheet of black card, crossing one another in eyery possible direction in such multi- 
tudes as to hide the dark nucleus everywhere, except at the spots. These elongated 
lens-shaped objects he found to be in constant motion relatively to one another; they 
sometimes approached, sometimes receded ; and sometimes they assumed a new an- 
gular position, by one end either maintaining a fixed distance or approaching its 
neighbour, while at the other end they retired from each other. These objects, 
some of which were as large in superficial area as all Europe, and some even as the 
surface of the whole earth, were found to shoot in thin streams across the spots, 
bridging them over in well-defined streams or comparative lines, as exhibited on 
the diagram; sometimes by crowding in on the edges of the spot they closed it in, 
and frequently, at length, thus obliterated it. These objects were of various di- 
mensions, but in leng th they generally were from 90 to 100 times as long as their 
breadth at the middle or widest part. 
Observations on Three of the Minor Planets in 1860. 
By Norman Poeson. Communicated by Dr. Ler, F.2.S. 
Observations of Minor Planets made at Hartwell in 1860, 
Eunomia (15) 
R.A. | P.D. 
s / af 
1860, Sept. 1. 12 14 46 21 35 50:07] 90 51 31-6 | +9-089 | —0°832| 6 withg 
» 9» 1. 1257 59 | 21 35 48:34] 90 51 41-0 | +9-262) —0-831] 12 ,, g 
» oy» 4 1057 59 | 21 33 16-34] 90 54 41°5 | 48-454 | —0-832| 7 ,, p 
» » 7 1135 5|21 30 4818| 90 58 17-4 | 4+9-027| —0:832] 5 ,, 0 
Olympia (59). 
4 | —8:195| —0-832| 12 with n 
0 | +9:190 | —0-837| 10 ,, m 
3 | —9-426| —0-805| 6 ,, m 
3 | —8-990| —0-835] 6 ,, m 
1860, Sept.25. 12 413] 0 31 0°68) 90 49 2 
» Oct. 2. 13 24 59} .@ 25 52°73) 91 53 5 
” Oo” 3. 938 14] O 25 16°45; 92 12 
» y» 3 1055 11}, 0 25 14:09) 92 15 
Thalia (28). 
1860,Sept.25. 13 4 37] 0 11 55°55 104 34 25:3 | +9-039 | —0°891] 8 with 7 
» Oct. 3. 12 28 38; O 4 38°05 /105 3 11-1 +9°056 | —0892| 10 , & 
3: 
6° 
9: 
7 
