132 Remarks on Several Subjects. 
DE ae) se (IE.) 
Fe 
wor? (LII.) 
u/Fe =F * (IV.) 
which are the usual formulas for the powers, quotients and 
roots of quantities. 
The symbols used by La Croix, are almost identical with 
those of Mr. Wallace, using m, n, p, &c. instead of a, b, c, 
&c. Thus La Croix’s equation corresponding to (I.) of 
Mr. Wallace, given above is ( 
| fim) Xfln)=flm-+n.) omens 
Boston, April 16,1824. - 
) 
2. Remarks on the paper “On the Precession of the Equi- 
noxes” published in page 323 of the Journal for February 
1824. ; : 
That the subject of the Precession of the Equinoxes had 
not been sufficiently examined by the author of that paper 
is evident from his suggestion, that if the precession was pro- 
duced by the attraction ofthe equatorial ring, or spheroidal 
part of the earth, it might arise “ from a diminution of the 
angle of the equator and ecliptic,” when it is well known that 
the whole motion is merely a change of direction in the line of 
intersection of the Equator and Ecliptic, or as he calls it 
(in page 324.) “the line of the Equatorial Nodes.” He 
also says, “that it is difficult if not impossible to see any 
method in which a regular and successive variation of the 
the line of the nodes should be effected.” And in speaking 
of the parallel case of the revolution of the nodes of the lu- 
nar orbit, he goes so far as to assert that he can see no ra- 
tional method of accounting for it, except the eccentricity 
of the (moon’s) orbit, and that “if the Earth was in the cen- 
tre of the Moon’s orbit, there would be a motion of the 
nodes backwards and forwards but no revolution.” Now 
there is no foundation for this assertion, since it has been 
proved by several writers on the lunar theory, that the ex- 
centricity of the orbit has but little effect in the motion of 
the Moon’s nodes, and the time of their revolution would 
be nearly the same, even if the moon’s orbit were to become 
