36 ON THE ORBIT-ELEMENTS OF COMET I., 1880. 
It will be seen that the first and third positions are not perfec 
satisfied by the elements, but I may state that owing to the. 
perihelion distance of the comet, the exceedingly small are, 
scribed by the comet between the extreme observations, and‘ 
very large anomaly in that arc, the calculation of the orbitis 
attended with great difficulty. I do not wonder at the conflicting 
sets of orbit-elements assigned to this body by be eal com 
tion of the adopted ratio of the curtate distan Ly 
however, to correct this ratio will not furnish resides within 
limits of probable errors of observation. It would 
fore, that the three positions cannot be satisfied on the hy poth 
of parabolic e motion, and that the orbit is elliptic. On comp 
the elements which I have thus deduced with those cot 
- these I now transfer to my paper, in order that the mem» 
y have the opportunity of comparing them with the lis ¢ 
due for the late comet. I have roughly corrected the lon 
or the precession of the equinoxes since 1843. 
