304 L. Boss—Tail of Comet b, 1881. 
chart (1850) from the original sketches and notes. On July 
22, the outlines of the tail were drawn with care on the Durch- 
musterung polar chart (Argelander, 1855), and from thence 
veined transferred to co finished sketch. The distortion 
notes recorded : 
ne 26, 10°.—Air wonderfully transparent. The tail of the 
rent comet consists o two Bea es. The principal branch 
faint. The other is curved quite strongly to the apparent west, 
and after its separation from the hes pes ray Pes hao most care- 
ful scrutiny for its detection, It seems to exten to a point six 
or seven degrees, astronomically igattiokst from Polaris. 
une 26, 13" 30". Sketch.—The tail presents to the naked eye 
much the same appearance as it did earlier in the e —— except 
that neither branch can be traced so far as then see Th 
egree. With the aid of a strai hit edge no curvature could be 
sately assigned. There is a rather sudden falling off in brightness 
at a point four or five degrees from 2 Urse Minoris toward the 
nucleu es of this ray are ill-defined and the central 
parts brightest. h which curves toward greater right 
ascension is not satisfactorily seen. Its effect is to broaden and 
the total breadth of the tail is estimated to be about four degrees. 
Flere a separation is faintly indicated, but the ret tat of the 
‘curyed ray is observed with extreme difficulty. The direction 
and extent of this branch is indicated on st sketch. 
June 28, 13". eet .—Foggy haze low down in the north. 
The curved biatioh is Sabet § in its central patie; s and is ‘Very 
conspicuous for the first ten or fifteen degrees of its length. It 
seems to terminate about three degrees short of B. A. G. 43495 
