2y Miscellanies. 
15. Comets.—The comet discovered February 5, 1845, by M. Colla, 
at Parma in Italy, is the Southern Comet of December, 1844, the approxi- 
mate elements of which are given at p. 403 of Vol. 48 of this Journal. 
The comet first detected July 7, 1844, by M. Mauvais, at Paris, was 
observed (after having traversed the southern hemisphere) by M. 
Argelander, at Bonn, Jan. 31, 1845, and subsequently by many other 
astronomers. 
16. Second Comet of 1845.—On the evening of February 25, 1845, a 
telescopic comet was discovered in Ursa Major, by observers atthe 
Collegio Romano. The following parabolic elements of its orbit, de- 
rived from observations taken March 7, 18 and 29, at the Observatory 
of Paris, were communicated by M. Fave, to the Academy of Sciences, 
April 14, 1845. 
Perihelion passage, 1845, April 21.03748, Paris m. t. 
Longitude of perihelion, = - - 192° 33° 186 \ m. equin. 
Be of asc. node, - - 347°... 6! 452 fo Janos 
Inclination, - - - - 56° 23! 36-3 
Perihelion distance, - - - 1:25468. 
Motion, - - - - - Direct. 
LT’ Institut, No. 590. 
17. Third Comet of 1845.—This brilliant comet was discovered in 
the constellation Perseus, towards the N. E. horizon, about 3 A. M. on 
Saturday, May 31, 1845, by Mr. Bennett, of the pilot-boat Aid, then 
near Norfolk, Va. On the two subsequent mornings, it was seen by 
persons in various places in this country, but appears to have been first 
observed by Mr. Geo. Bond, of the Observatory at Cambridge, Mass. 
One witness represented the tail of the comet on the 2nd of June, (be- 
tween 2 and 3 A. M.,) as very distinct and brilliant, about a degree 
long; and the nucleus equal in brightness to the star Capella. Some 
who saw it two or three mornings later represent the tail to have been 
about ten degrees long. On the morning of the 5th of June, the nu- 
cleus appeared as bright as the planet Jupiter. The comet has been 
visible, ( for the few last days in the telescope only,) down to the 27th 
of June, but will soon be lost in the twilight. Its position, from the 
first discovery, has been rather unfavorable for observation, on account 
of its nearness to the horizon. 
The following sets of approximate elements were published on the 
13th of June, the one by Prof Peirce, of Cambridge, from observations 
there taken by Messrs. Bond ; the other by Messrs. Kendall and Downes, 
of Philadelphia, from observations of June 4, 8 and 11, made at the 
High School Observatory in that city. These elements do not agree 
with those of any comet on record. 
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