REPORTS FROM THE SECTIONS. Zou 
taking observ ations with the large refractor by Schroder of 113- 
inch aperture, power used 450 diameters; on 5th July, 1877, he 
found the distance 2”5 597, angle of position 72°520. 
Mr. ONNELL exhibited a fine copy in excellent 
preservation of Rcheinet’ s “ Rosa Ursina”’ folio, Bracciano, 1 o F 
This scarce book, the work of the Jesuit astronomer Schei 
a contemporary of —— contains one of the earliest eaten 
accounts of th ots on the sun’s disc, and is profusely 
illustrated with beautiful steel engravings ; it is also interesting 
from the description of the many difficulties that the first 
telescopic observers had to conquer in their pursuit of science. 
Mr. MacDon nell also showed a new form of star-spectroscope 
this instrument consists in the necessity for having a slit 
being obviated, and in its adaptability ‘o telescopes of 3- inch 
apertures an nd upwar 
A discussion on all the points brought before the Section 
ensued. 
FRIDAY, 3 AUGUST, 1877 
Mr. H. C. Russert, F.R.A.S., &c., in the Chair. 
The Cuartrman stated that he had been in correspondence with 
Mr. H. J. Beatson, late Master R.N., and resident in Levuka, 
Fiji, relative to the transit of some dark body across a the sun’s 
disc on 17th March, 1877. Mr. Beatson had in the first place 
communicated his observation to the S dney Observatory, in a 
letter dated 10th May, 1877, and in reply to a request from Mr. 
Russell for fuller details he ve daa the following account of 
his observation :— 
Levuka, Isle of Ovaulau, 
Fiji, 12 July, 1877. 
H. J. Beatson, Esq., to H. C. Russell, Esq. 
Dear Sir 
Your favour of 28th J — is to hand, and in reply thereto I beg to 
subjoin ae following account of my observation on the 17th peal ig 
and much regret I had not Fes more fully prepared for such duadies 
a a more minute description could have been given 
- On 15th and 16th March I observed, Heigh indistinetly, one of the 
r than us 
oe nm 
2nd. On 17th peek I was using my se xtant as usual with a moderately 
sit inverting tube, when I ob first shadow as before described; 
was then iby diatinctty ler bes the S.E. iim of the sun, the tail or shadow 
sondinig downwards to rth. 
3rd. The point or bit ge was dark, nearly black, 9 gradually garg 
towards the tail ; the tail or shadow was quite transpare “sane ated into 
4th. I have estimated the diameter of head both b ET an 
comparison with the same instrument to be 3 the size of s upiter. Of cours 
