170 TRANSIT OF MERCURY. 
et and sun’s limb, and this from its breadth and the planet's — | 
rate of motion, could: doubtless have been seen with better defini- 
tion, two or three seconds earlier, if not more. 
Bisection. 
No sign whatever could be detected during ingress of that por- 
tion of Mercury which was off the sun’s disc, nor could any halo 
be seen at the cusps. 
Mercury on the sun 
Mercury, when on the sun, appeared a | perfect sphere, intensely 
black (more so than sun-spots), without any halo, haze or spots, 
the outline of planet being remarkably sharp. No companion 
visible. 
e definition for about an hour after the ingress was very good 
sidsaa but with the highest powers and different stops oD 
objective — noteworthy could be detected. 
Eygress,— Weather. 
Weather not so favourable ; sky covered with light cirrus 
clouds. Mercury still a clear well-defined disc on face of sun, but 
the sun’s limb unsteady and boiling. 
Second internal contact 
Second internal contact 1 hour 40 minutes 44:34 seconds, 
Sydney mean time. I waited before taking this time until I was 
quite sure contact was complete ; the boiling referred to above 
making it very difficult to decide. 
Second external contact. f 
The planet did not pass steadily off the sun, but in a yor be 
jumps of about half (4) a second in duration, which may °° ‘ 
lasted n to fifteen seconds, when I was qul e certain id 
trace of the slated was visible. I took the time, 1 hour se 
23°64 seconds. * dis- 
— egress the sun’s limb was considerably more 
turbed and uncertain than at ingress 
Report from W. J. Conder, Chief of the Trigonometrical Branch 
of Survey Office. fs 
I have the hs to transmit the following bo of of a 
made y me, during the transit of Mercury, on Nov 
=, at the reper: near Bathurst, New So ‘Wales ial 
telescope used is a 43-inch refractor, by emp clock 
imag 5 feet 6 inches, Maeateatilly mounted, 8 d wi an 
motion ; this, however, was so irregular t t it "often <— 
necessary to drive the telesco scope by hand in the opine 6 aps ‘oat 
diagonal eye-piece with dark neutral shade, and Power eleseopl 
employed for the observation; and having tested the te" 
