294 



Memorial of City of Chicago for National Armory, No- 

 vember, 1861. 



Historical Magazine. 



After some general conversation in regard to the interests 

 of the Institute, but without further business, the Society 

 adjourned for two weeks. 



December 3, 1861. 



The president, Mr. Pruyn, presided. 



Mr. Hough, of the Dudley observatory, was announced 

 for a paper at the next meeting. 



No communication being ready for the evening, the Insti- 

 tute, on motion, adjourned for two weeks. 



December 17, 1861. 

 Dr. H. Townsend, on motion, was appointed chairman. 



Donations were announced as follows : 



Proceedings of Boston Society of Natural History. 



Historical Collections of Essex Institute. 



Prof. Hough then, according 'to previous notice, present- 

 ed a communication on the subject of Astronomy. 



He limited himself to the progress of the science during 

 1861. He remarked that very many observations in astron- 

 omy could be quite as well made with small instruments as 

 large ; and it was especially noticeable that many times a 

 phenomenon which has been once seen with a large instru- 

 ment can afterwards be readily seen with a small. But in the 

 present state of science, it is doubtless true that most of 

 the progress made must be by the most perfect instruments. 



During 1861, Mr. Hough said that nine planets had been 

 discovered and two comets. He gave an account of the 

 discovery of these planets and also of the discovery of and 

 observations on the comets. Of the latter bodies, the first 

 was the Thacher comet, discovered by Mr. Thacher of New 

 York; the second was the great comet of 1861, discovered 

 first on June 29th, and visible here first distinctly July 3d. 



