L. Boss— Observations on the Comet 1881 . 141 
It seems to me more likely that these two comets may. have 
formed parts of the same body in distant ages, and that these 
parts may have separated as Biela’s comet did. The two parts 
would need to have but slightly differing mean distances from 
less striking resemblances among cometic orbits have been 
noted, in cases where absolute identity between the two comets 
considered seems impossible. These cases increase the demand 
for a general explanation, such as I have suggested above. 
The resemblances seem to be too close and too frequent to be 
considered the result of chance; and the above ett 
i the 
very much cieanle 
I have been too rink pressed with other duties to give close or 
tible streak, On Ape 1, We two branches seem to have 
merged into one, presenting a shorter and broad fan-like ap- 
Sepae perfectly straight and strongly marked on the preced- 
ing side, coneave and nebulous on the following. 
‘On all occasions the nucleus under a power of 250 has 
seemed to be quite distinctly defined and star-like in appear- 
ance. On iegod! 26, sits measured diameter was 7’; on July 8, 
this had becom : e latter measure reduced to the dis- 
- tance of June 26 becomes 8/3, a rather surprising reduction in 
the diameter, if it be rea 
Dudley Observatory, Albany, N. Y., July 19, 1881. 
