GrORE — On Suspected Variable Stars. 267 



XYIII. — A Cat^ ^jgtje op Stjspecteb Vaeia:bxe Staes. "With Notes 

 AND OBSEKTATIOJfS. By J. E. GoEE, M. E. I. A., P. E. A. S., 

 Honorary Member of the Liverpool Astronomical Society. "With. 

 Plate 11. 



[Read, May 12, 1884.] 



The following Catalogue of Suspected Variable Stars has been com- 

 piled fi'om various sources. Many of the stars it contains are doubtless 

 really variable, but the observations hitherto made have not been suffi- 

 cient to place their variability beyond question. In some cases the 

 variation would seem to be small, with a long period, possibly several 

 years. Others may possibly belong to the Algol type, and from the 

 nature of the light curve the variability may escape detection for a long 

 time. On the other hand, future observations will no doubt show that 

 many of them are constant in their light, and these of course must be 

 removed from future Catalogues. Observations of these less suspicious 

 stars should however not be neglected, as even negative results will be 

 of value as tending to show constancy of light. 



In the notes to the Catalogue, I have given the magnitudes as- 

 signed to each star by different observers. In many cases there are 

 considerable discrepancies in these magnitudes, which may possibly be 

 due to actual variation in the light of the star. "With reference to the 

 value to be assigned to the magnitudes of the earlier observers, the 

 foUowiag remarks by Sir "W. Herschel, regarding the discrepancies in 

 Plamsteed's magnitudes may be quoted : — " "We ought to account for 

 this by allowing that Flamsteed did not compare the stars to each other, 

 but referred each of them separately to its own imaginary standard of 

 magnitude. This is the real source of all such contradiction, which, 

 therefore, cannot be charged to our author. As we should, however, take 

 it for granted that the magnitudes were affijKed to the stars with as much 

 care as the nature of an unsettled standard would allow, a short inquuy 

 iato the extent of the confidence we may place upon the method of 

 magnitudes will be of considerable use. "We have observed that, in this 

 method, the brightness of stars is referred to unsettled standards ; but 

 admittiag that a pretty general though coarse idea may be formed of 

 these magnitudes, it may be granted that a mistake of a whole order in 

 the first class cannot be supposed. The difference between a star of 

 the first and second magnitude is so palpable that it excludes all suspi- 

 cion of taking one for the other. "When sub-divisions are introduced 

 the case becomes doubtful, 1*2 may easily pass for 2-1. But though 



R. I. A. PROC, 8ER. II., VOL. IV. — SCIENCE. 2 G 



