105 
and hail ; but between the showers the sky cleared partially 
and afforded opportunities, at irregular intervals, of obser- 
ving the shadow of Titan on the disc of the planet. Thir- 
teen estimations of its position at different times during the 
transit were made, a reduction of which gave 7h. 23*5m. as 
the Greenwich mean time of mid-transit, or time when the 
shadow was in the middle of its track ; and 3"’9 as its dis- 
tance from the centre of Saturn’s disc at that time. Its 
path appeared to be on a faint, narrow double belt. The 
satellite itself was estimated to be on a line perpendicular 
to the preceding end of the ring at 8h. 17m. All the 
estimations were made with a power of 180, but the shadow 
was distinctly visible with a power of 125, the telescope 
used being an ecjuatorially mounted achromatic of 6 inches 
aperture by Messrs. T. Cooke and Sons, of York. The 
frequent interruptions by showers of rain and hail and the 
disturbed state of the atmosphere rendered it impracticable 
to use the micrometer with advantage. 
February 25th, 1878. 
Joseph Baxendell, F.R.A.S., President of the Section, 
in the Chair. 
“ Results and deductions of rain-gauge observations made 
at Eccles, near Manchester, during the year 1877,” by 
Thomas Mackereth, F.R.A.S., F.M.S. 
The rainfall of the past year was greatly in excess of the 
average. The average fall at Eccles for a period of 17 vears 
is 36*123 inches, and the average number of days upon 
