240 REPORTS FROM THE SECTIONS. 
twice when using the refractor; on the evening of the 31st 
August the reflector showed it to be without doubt of a rich dark 
purple. 
I have not observed any of the small white spots that have been 
remarked at previous oppositions, nor any of the minute an 
intensely black ones which I saw so repeatedly in 1876; larger 
and ill-defined spots of a very dusky hue have been seen on the 
eaeetore! band this year, but they are evidently not of the same 
character. 
On the evening of the 24th August there was a transit of No. 
IV satellite. I did not see the i ingress, but at about 9°45 p.m. I 
looked at the planet with a 43-in. refractor belonging to Mr. A. 
Fairfax, and was immediately ‘airdok with what appeared to be an 
intensely black spot on the northern portion of the equatorial belt. It 
was quite as black as the shadows of any of the satellites in me 
and for this I at first mistook it, until upon reflection I could n 
see any satellite in a position to cast the shadow. It grew hte 
as it approached the limb, and finally at the edge became qui 
bright. I have since noticed No. IV, as compared with the ee 
satellites on the dark trent of the sky ; it is certainly much 
less luminous, and if they were stars I should say it was two-thirds 
of a magnitude smaller. It must certainly possess reflecting 
appearing dusky under the circumstances, but it is difficult not to 
imagine that there is not some other cause for such intense and 
