SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY. 
309 
On the Star 61 Geminorum. — Mr. Webb makes tbe following remarks on 
Ibis star ; — “ Tbe star known as 61 Geminorum was entered in tbe Bedford 
Catalogue as double, 7\ and 9 magnitudes, with a position-angle of 110° 
and a distance of 60", tbe colour being recorded as deep yellow and yellow- 
ish. I examined it with a 3^-inch achromatic, March 23, 1852, and en- 
tered it ‘ white, single.’ There could be little doubt as to its identification, 
from the neighbourhood of the double star Ij[ III. 48. February 14, 1855, 
having taken pains as to its identification, I again found it, with the same 
instrument, single and white. I noticed, however, on this latter occasion an 
exceedingly minute star, not above 11 mag., which might agree as to 
■distance, but with a very roughly estimated angle of 185° or 190°. Id 1861 
and 1871 the comes was invisible to Mr. Knott, with all the advantage of a 
7^-inch Alvan Clark object-glass. I believe I have never looked for it 
since, but have been lately interested by finding that it has been recovered 
this spring by Herbert Sadler, Esq., of Honiton Rectory, the extreme acute- 
ness of whose vision, in the use of a 6^-inch silvered mirror by Calver, is 
attested by his recognition of several most delicate and difficult objects. He 
gives it only 12-5 mag. at about the right distance, but with an estimated 
angle of 160° to 165°. It seems, therefore, probable that, unless we can 
suppose an error in the figure expressing Smyth’s magnitude, we have here 
a variable star, which it would be desirable to examine closely, and with 
instruments capable of giving a definite value to the angle of position. The 
possible change of colour also in the principal star merits attention. My 
own 9^-inch speculum being at the present time dismounted, with a view to 
the ultimate perfection of its figure, though previously very good, I am 
unable to contribute any information on the subject.” 
Monthly Notices of the Astronomical Society . — The poverty of these re- 
cently has been so remarkable as to merit a passing word of comment. 
With the expectation of securing for these papers something better than 
mere burial at the Society’s rooms, they were made purchasable by the public, 
.as issued, at a shilling per number. But the Society can hardly expect to 
find any considerable number of persons, however interested in science, 
willing to pay the price of a good monthly magazine for some thirty pages 
of matter, most of which, for any value it has, might as well have remained 
in the Observatory note-books from which it would seem to have been 
extracted. In the last two numbers there are not ten pages of the least 
scientific value or interest. One or two valuable but short mathematical 
papers from the editor, three or four very short papers relating to the 
recent transit, and a few remarks on double stars and a star of large proper 
motion, are all that even the Fellows of the Society can be supposed to care 
for. The scientific public ought to be considered, or else each number 
ought to be priced according to its value. Threepence, for instance, instead 
of two shillings, might fairly have been asked for the last two numbers 
together. The matter is more serious than many suppose : for very general 
interest might be drawn to the proceedings of the Astronomical Society, and 
thus to astronomy itself, if an effort were made to make the monthly numbers 
more attractive. It is, however, nobody’s business, and therefore nobody 
,(of late, at least) seems to have cared to do it. Moreover, if any Fellow of 
the Society who has got himself elected to the Royal Society has anything 
