400 Scientific Intelligence. 



(2.) Borrelly discovered a second comet about the 6th of April. 



{"<■) Mr. Lewis Swift at Rochester, discovered on the evening 

 of the 11th of April, a very faint comet in the head of ( 'assiopeia. 

 Tin discover^ was telegraphed the same evening to Professor 

 Henry and to the Associated Press, hut for some reason notice 

 seems not to have been sent to Europe. This enabled Borrelly' on 

 the 14th to announce his later discovery of the same comet. 



6. Observations of Comet* 1*77/'. and 1877c. at the Observa- 

 tory of the Sheffield Sri. s ■/,,,. /, u,ad, hy W. Bkkbe, II. A. 

 Hazex, and T. A. Smith.— Comet 18775. was observed here at 

 the dates given below. At first it seemed a round nebulous mass, 

 about 5 m diameter, at first s]b_ditlv but later more phiinlv con- 

 densed at the center, clearly denned on the side toward the sun, 

 _ i ry "-radually in th. opposit - direction, though with- 

 out any elongation that could be properly called a tail. But on 

 the 21st, after a period of doudv weather, the comet had become 

 " H ! ' ii-ht. i. with a well-defined nucleus. Two tails were also 

 visible, one extending nearly west alone; a circle of 

 about 20', and on,- southwest making with the first an angle of 

 about .iii°, the whole forming ., kind of fan-shaped tail. The fol- 

 lowing ol)servations were mad.' with a ring micrometer con- 

 structed by Professor Lyman. It differs from the usual form in 

 that ir consists ( ,t f..ur concern ric ring-, the largest about a degree, 

 -' about s', in diameter. By this arrangement any or 

 all <■! the s circles can be u<ed for comparisons, and selections may 

 be made for the best observations, whether for H. A. or dec. 

 . In absence of a chronograph, or of a clock in the 

 tower, an assistant noted time from a portable chronometer. The 

 names of the first three comparison stars are uncertain. 

 New Haven m. t. (C— S). Aa (C— S), AS Comp. star. No. Comp. 



April 7, 16 18 38 +2 1786 -17 19-15 43397 LL. 11 



Swift's comet (1877c.) was seen here on the evening of the 12th, 



and the observation then made is perhaps the earliest exact meas- 



if* place. The comet appeared to be a faint elongated 



less than 1' broad and was :>' or 0' long. With powers 



of 40 to 200 (object-glass — -■ in.) ,,o trace of nucleus was seen 



tig mark. The comet passed centrally over a 



10 mag. star, which at first was taken i'.-r a nucleus. The "-place of 



this star was Taken as that of the comet. The comet was again 



seen on the 22d of April. 



New Haven m. t. (C-8), Aa. (C-S), Arf. Comp. Star. No. Comp- 



April 12 9 2 -4 43 B 32 + \ 51-2 a 1 



