288 EEPOETS rSOM THE SECTIONS. 



VrEDXESDAY, 25 OCTOBEE, 1876. 

 Mr. H. C. EussELL, T.R.A.S., in tlie Chair. 



Mr. Colter read a lettei' from Mr. J. Browning, the well- 

 known London optician, relative to the Yariation in the colour 

 of the equatorial belts of the planet Jupiter when ohserved 

 through refracting or reflecting telescopes. The question as 

 to which class of instruments gave the most correct results 

 was a difficult one to decide ; the Chairman wished that those 

 members in possession of adequate means should take th^ matter 

 in hand, so that if any law of yariation exists it might be brought 

 to light. 



Mr. Du pArE informed the Chairman that he had been in 

 correspondence with some gentlemen in the far interior who 

 were willing to take meteorological observations if instruments 

 for that purpose were supplied ' to them. Mr. Kussell said he 

 had also been taking steps in the same direction, so that regular 

 observations of the climatology of the interior could be taken. 



Mr. E.USSELL then read a long paper from Mr. Jones, of Tarn- 

 worth, on an extraordinary dry fog observed in the neighbour- 

 hood of Tamworth, on the morning of 12th October. Mr. De 

 Salis had noticed a somewhat similar phenomenon in 1S51, which 

 was ascribed to the prevalence of extensive bush fires then raging 

 in Victoria, but whether the Tamworth dry fog could be traced 

 to a similar origin required further evidence before it could be 

 decided. 



wed]s:esday, 29 noyejviber, istg. 



Mr. H. C. EussELL, F.E.A.S., in the Chair. 



Eev. GrEO. Maetix read a long and interesting paper on the 

 performance of his '•' Cooke" telescope of 5 inches clear aperture, 

 6 feet 3 inches focal length. He succeeded in resolving the 

 globular cluster o), Centauri, with the exception of the central 

 condensation, also the clusters 47 Toucani and 13 M. Herculis. 

 In the resolution of these objects, Mr. Martin found that the 

 light-grasping power of his instrument approached very nearly 

 to its theoretical value. Por definition he had tried the capacity 

 of his object glass on Antares, Nu (v) Scorpii, 77 Orionis, 7 Cen- 

 tauri, all of which difficult doubles he succeeded well in resolving. 

 After referring to other work performed by his telescope, Mr. 

 Martin spoke of the example of Mr. Burnham, of Chicago, in 

 reaping a harvest in fields where Herschel, Struve, and other 

 eminent observers had been working, and he stated that our 

 southern heavens present a splendid field for investigation for 

 any competent observer armed with moderate means and a little 

 patience, in which he would meet with a rich and ample reward. 



A short discussion ensued on Mr. Martin's paper. 



