Astronomy. 429 
CoMETS OF THE YEAR 1886. 
The dates are in Greenwich M. T., and the elements only approximate. 
Syno- 
Desig- Dis- Perihelion 
1886. $2 o) nym. 
nation. | coverer. a qd Discovery. 
T Fabry’ |Apr. 5°96] 36°9237/126°36’| 82°37710°642)’85 Dee. 1/1885 d 
II Barnard|May 3°28] 68 19 |119 36] 84 25 {0-479 Dec. 3/1885 
IIL |Brooks |May 4:67/288 6) 39 1 |100 33 |0°842)’86 Apr. 30/1886 b 
IV a June 6°78) 52 6/176 50] 13 24 |1°360 May 22/1886 ¢ |periodic. 
V oY June 740/192 42 |201 13} 87 44 10-270 Apr. 27/1886 a 
VI =|Kinlay j|Aug. 19° |101 56|174 8] 14 27 j0°883 Aug. 19}1886 d|Winnecke 
VII bP Nov. 22°39) 52 26/315 7 3 2 10°998 Sept. 26/1886 e |periodic. 
VIIE |Barnard|Nov. 28°22)258 13 | 31 46] 85 35 |1-479)’8" Jan. 23/1887 c 
Ix 4 Dec. 16°54|137 23 | 86 22 |101 37 |0°663|’86 Oct. 4/1886 f 
3. Comets in 1887.—The following are the comets discovered 
thus far in the present year: 
Comet 1887a, discovered January 18th by Thome. 
Bo TUS OO, or January 23d by Brooks. 
ewe SESSiIc: Be January 23d by Barnard. 
ee SSiias ft February 16th by Barnard. 
H. A. N. 
4, In the same number of the Astr. Jour., Professor Hall gives 
the result of his measurements of 63 small stars in the Pleiades. 
The probability that the stars of such a group have a common 
proper-motion, and that the small stars are connected physically 
with the larger ones, together with the importance of being able 
at some future time to test the motion of the brighter stars 
relative to the neighboring faint ones, led Professor Hall to 
undertake this series of observations. The triangulation of the 
bright stars of the Pleiades by Dr. Elkin, recently finished, made 
the present a favorable time for such measurements. 
The improvement of the photographic processes is such, how- 
ever, as to make it seem best for the present to discontinue these 
measurements and to wait to see what the photographic methods 
will furnish. HAN. NG 
5. Henry Draper Memorial.—Professor PickERING has issued 
his first annual report of the photographic study of stellar spectra 
made at the Harvard College Observatory under the very liberal 
provision of Mrs. Draper as a memorial to her husband. The 
various investigations begun or devised are: 1. A catalogue of 
spectra of bright stars; 2. Catalogue of spectra of faint stars ; 
3. Detailed study of the spectra of bright stars; 4. Faint stellar 
spectra; 5. Absorption spectra; 6. Wave lengths. The progress 
already made in spectral photography is vividly illustrated by 
the plate which accompanies the Report. H. A. N. 
6. U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, for the year ending with 
June, 1885. Washington, 1886.—This report contains, among 
the results of work accomplished, papers by C. A. Scuott on the 
magnetic dip and intensity with their secular variation and geo- 
graphical distribution in the United States, with three maps and 
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