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MARS IN THE AUTUMN OF 1877. 
By RICHARD A. PROCTOR, F.R.A.S. 
[PLATE VII.] 
I N the years 1867 and 1869 I discussed in these pages the 
relations presented by the planet Mars during the opposi- 
tions of those years, when the planet was traversing the aphelion 
portion of his orbit. Since that time several observations of 
interest have been made upon Mars, Moreover, Dr. Terby of 
Louvain has brought together many observations, made since 
the year 1630, but which had before been scattered in the Pro- 
ceedings of learned Societies, in the private notes of observers, 
and elsewhere in such sort as not to be directly available to 
science. I may remark, indeed, in passing, that we find illus- 
trated in this case what I cannot but regard as a serious dis- 
advantage of the action of learned Societies. Enabling observers, 
as these Societies do, to publish the results of observation, the 
Societies do good work ; for many observers could not otherwise 
perhaps afford the expense of making their work known as it 
proceeds. But in several cases it has happened that this piece- 
meal issue of important labours has prevented the publication 
«of the entire series, revised and corrected by the observer him- 
self. For example, we no doubt owe a debt of gratitude to the 
Royal Society for publishing the successive papers on the stars 
drawn up by Sir W. Herschel ; yet no one can doubt that if. it 
had so happened that Sir W. Herschel had been compelled to 
wait until his labours were concluded, or at least until each 
successive stage of his progress had been completed, and had 
then presented his work to the world, its value would have been 
enhanced tenfold, though probably he would have been put 
to no small expense, which the Royal Society saved him. In 
the case of observations made on Mars, we have not the results 
of any single observer’s work presented in detail even in the 
Proceedings of Scientific Societies, only a few selections here and 
there, such as the observer thought most likely to be published 
for him; or, in some cases, a few only from among these. Thus, 
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