[ 307 ] 

 XL. Proceedings of Learned Societies. 



ROYAL SOCIETY. 



[Continued from p. 232.] 



May 28, 1868. — Lieut. -General Sabine, President, in the Chair, 

 TI^IIE following communication was read : — 

 m. " Observations of the Spectra of some of the Southern Ne- 

 bulae." By Lieutenant John Herschel, R.E. 



[Lieutenant Herschel, to whom the observations of the solar eclipse 

 of August next have been entrusted by the Royal Society, has already 

 employed the instruments, placed in his hands by the Royal Society 

 for the observations of the eclipse, to good account by commencing 

 an examination of some of the brightest of the nebulas of the southern 

 heavens. The first results of this examination, which are contained 

 in the present paper, were obtained at Bangalore, Madras Presidency, 

 during the months of March and April 1868. The instruments con- 

 sist of an equatorially mounted telescope of 5 inches aperture, driven 

 by a clock furnished with a pendulum governor by Cooke and Sons, 

 and a spectroscope by Messrs. Simms furnished with one prism of 

 dense flint glass, and with a micrometer-screw and photographic' scale 

 for measuring the lines. The nebulae No. 4390 and No. 2102 have 

 been described by me, Phil. Trans. 1864, p. 439, and Phil. Trans. 

 1866, p. 383. — W. H.] 



No. 3531. [/Rl3M9 m : N.P.D. 136° 37':!!; globular cluster 

 of stars ; w Centauri.] 



March 25. A large cluster visible to the naked eye, oval-shaped, 

 brighter towards the central part. Spectrum an indefinable haze ; 

 no lines. 



No. 2197. \M 10 h 40 m : N.P.D. 148° 57' : great nebula in Argus.] 



Spectrum : lines distinctly visible, but not clear enough to be 

 separated; approximate position D+l*8 + '3 (D = 2'30, E=3'68, 

 6 = 3'97, F=5*03). An unsatisfactory observation : to be looked 

 for again. 



No. 2017. \M 10 h l m : N.P.D. 129° 47': !!; planetary nebula, 

 very bright, very large, little extended, * 9M.] 



March 31. Found with difficulty in the spectroscope. After a 

 minute or two's examination the tube was accidentally disturbed ; and 

 before direction could be again obtained, clouds had gathered and 

 work was stopped. Appearance in telescope a nebulous-looking 

 star ; under a higher power a nebulous-looking object with a much 

 brighter nucleus or centre. In spectroscope a continuous streak with 

 a blotch of light nearly in the middle of its length two-fifths, by esti- 

 mation, from the red end ; slit quite wide. 



No. 2581. \M ll h 44 m : N.P.D. 146° 27': a planetary nebula, 

 small, round ; blue =* 7M.] 



X2 



