for the year 1875. xxxv 



observations of right ascension, and 1,150 of north polar 

 distance ; these include, besides the usual fundamental stars, 

 transits of the moon and of moon culminating stars, for 

 assisting in the determination of the longitudes of the stations 

 occupied by the various Transit of Venus parties in this 

 part of the world, and polar distances of stars culminating 

 not far from the zenith for finding the latitudes of the same 

 stations. The Great Telescope has been principally employed 

 in observing the faint nebulae and clusters of stars in the 

 southern hemisphere. The fine comet of Coggia, which 

 made its appearance here in July of last year, was also 

 carefully examined on eighteen nights, and fifteen drawings 

 of it obtained. It was intended also to use this instrument 

 in obtaining photographs of the sun's disc during the Transit 

 of Venus, but the apparatus was not completed in sufficient 

 time to allow of preliminary practice, so the attempt failed. 

 Advantage has been taken of the favourable position of Mars 

 during his present opposition to get some good drawings of 

 it. A fine series of measures for position of Coggia's comet 

 was taken with the small equatorial. One observation of 

 Encke's comet was also obtained. Besides which, the 

 occultations of all stars by the moon visible here, during 

 the months of October, November, December, and January, 

 were observed with this instrument. 



The Transit of Venus was successfully observed, the 

 new equatorial of eight inches aperture being used for the 

 purpose. Observations of the two internal and last external 

 contact were obtained, besides micrometric measures of the 

 distance between the edges of Venus, and the nearest limb 

 of the sun. By means of the Dalmayer photoheliograph, 

 180 photographs were taken with the Janssen apparatus 

 at and near the time of internal contacts, in addition to 

 37 pictures of the whole face of the sun with Venus on it. 

 At the other Government stations in Victoria the Transit 



