280 Nebulas. 



milar to that of the annular nebula in Lyra. To find it, we 

 must run a line through the stars 8 Grateris and v Hydras al- 

 ready described, bending it a little upwards ; this will point 

 out, at nearly an equal distance, fi Hydras, a, 4 mag. star of a 

 glorious yellow hue, about 2° s. of which the nebula lies. 



We shall find a curious contrast to this marvellous object in 

 our next, which, however, will require a very transparent night, 

 from its nearness to the horizon. 



36. Gen. Cat. 3128. M 68. This Sm. calls a large, 

 very pale, mottled nebula, 3' x 4? diam. H. describes it 

 at the Cape at a much greater elevation, as an irregularly 

 round cluster, gradually brighter in the middle, very 

 ragged at the borders, all clearly resolved into 12 mag. 

 stars. To me, with 3-iV inches, it was a rather faint, but, from 

 its size, pretty conspicuous object, not bearing magnifying. A 

 line will find it, run nearly vertically down through 8 and /3, 

 the two bright/ stars of Oorvus. At about half their distance, it 

 will point out a 5 mag. star, closely nf, which is the nebula. 



The apprehension we expressed some time ago, that the 

 light of the Great Spiral Nebula, M 51, No. 29 (Intellectual 

 Observer, viii., 209) would be too feeble for prismatic analysis, 

 has not been realized, Huggins having found the spectrum of 

 each nucleus continuous, though with a suspicion that some 

 parts were abnormally bright. Hence the stellar constitution 

 ascribed to this marvellous system by the E. of Eosse seems 

 verified. Apr. 11, intending to look for it, I came suddenly 

 upon another object, at no great distance, which I took at first 

 for a telescopic comet, but afterwards identified, and which 

 may stand as — 



37. Gen. Cat. 3474. M 63. E.A. xiiih. 9m. 32s. D.N. 

 42° 46' 15". Discovered by Mechain, 1779. Described by 

 Sm. as an oval, milky-white nebula, with a nucleus like a small 

 star, y found it very bright, 9' or 10' long by 4' broad, with 

 a very brilliant nucleus, which H. speaks of as almost stellar. 

 It appeared quite so to me, about 10 mag. ? (2) but I used no 

 higher power than 239 : with 65 and 1111 might have over- 

 looked it. The nebula lies between a 7*5 ? mag. star p, and 

 an interesting but very minute triplet 9*5 ? mag./. It may bo 

 found by sweeping in a barren space, about half way between the 

 last star of the Great Bear's tail, and Gor Garoli. Three nebulae 

 in Scorjno will repay our search, but we must watch for oppor- 

 tunities — long days, moon-light, and nearness to the horizon, 

 being all against us. We take first — 



38. Gen. Cat. 4183. M 4. This, according to Sm., is a 

 compressed mass of very small stars, with outliers ; elongated, 

 and blazing in the centre ; with a ridge of 8 or 10 pretty bright 

 stars, running nf from the middle. We find it readily about 



