230 Miscellanies. 
distinguish the nucleus from the tail at that point. The denseness of 
the nucleus was so great that Mr. C. has no doubt that it might haye 
been visible upon the sun’s disk if it had passed between it and the ob- 
server. This dense appearance he considers due in part to the fact 
that the tail was foreshortened by projection, and so directed with ref- 
erence to the earth, that the nucleus must have been seen through a 
considerable mass of the matter of the tail. Notwithstanding the diffi- 
-eulties resulting from the nearness of the comet to the sun shining in 
its strength, Mr. C. succeeded in obtaining with an instrument of reflee- 
tion the following measurements, viz. 
Feb. 28, 3h. 2m. 15s. P. M., Sun’s farthest limb from nearest 
limb of nucleus, j : 4° 6! 15" 
Feb. 28, 3h. 6m. 20s. P. M., Sun’s Poriheat fib (ote farthest 
limb of nucleus, . i 4° 7 30” 
Feb. 28, 3h. 9m. 40s. P. M., stints Girthrest tina for extrem- 
ity of tail, . ; : i 5° 6 30” 
The first of these measures Mr. C. considers reliable within 15” ; 
and the other two may be taken as near approximations. Due alttys 
ance must of course be made for the motions of the two bodies during 
the period of observation. When the sun was in the plane of the me- 
ridian, the angle made by the line joining the centres of the sun and 
nucleus, with the lower vertical, on the eastern side, was about 73°. 
These data must evidently supersede those derived from the observa- 
tions which were made at Waterbury, without the use of instruments. 
EK. ©: E. 
10. Second Comet of 1843.—M. Victor Mauvais, an astronomer at- 
tached to the Paris Observatory, discovered May 3, 1843, a telescopic 
comet on the limits of the constellations Cygnus and Pegasus. It isa 
feeble nebulosity, of an oval shape, and about 3/ diameter, with a sen- 
sible condensation of light towards the centre. It was seen by Sir J. 
South at Kensington, on the 10th of the same month.—Lond. Ath. 
May 13, 1843. 
11. Meteoric Observations, April 20, 1843.—On the night of April 
20, 1843, (the anniversary of the great meteoric shower of April, 
1803,) I watched alone in the open air, at intervals during the entire 
night, which was one of uncommon sereneness. ‘The number of me- 
teors noted by me, did not exceed what I assume to be the average 
number, visible after midnight, at other seasons,—or from twelve to 
fifteen an hour for an individual observer. 
The next night was likewise very clear, but I made no observation. 
Persons who were abroad to a late hour, informed me, that without 
