lated from the sun’s semi-diameter for the day^ as given in 
the “ Nautical Almanac.” 
If the telescope is mounted equatorially, the card circle 
should he adjusted sideways until a sjDot on the surface of 
the sun would keep accurately on the same ruled line cross- 
ing the circle, If all these adjustments are carefully 
performed, the position of a spot at a given time, or the rate 
of motion of any object crossing the sun’s disc, can be 
approximately obtained with the aid of a good watch. If 
M. Lescarbault had possessed a simple apparatus of this 
kind when he observed the transit of the body across the 
sun in 1859, to which the name of Vulcan has been given, 
he would probably have saved M. Leverrier and many other 
astronomers a large amount of valuable time. The members 
of this Section are doubtless familiar with this method of 
observation, but there are many in the possession of tele- 
scopes who would gladly avail themselves of these sugges- 
tions in the absence of the more elaborate method of 
measurement. 
“The Results of Rainfall Observations at Old Trafford, 
Manchester, for 1875 and 1876,” by G. V. Veknon, F.R.A.S., 
F.M.S. 
Rain Gauge 3ft. above tlie Ground and 106ft. above the Level of the Sea. 
Quarterly 
Periods. 
1875. 
Fall of 
Rain. 
Average 
of 82 
Years. 
Diff. 
No. of 
Lays’ 
Rain. 
Quarterly Periods. 
1874. 
1875. 
82 Yrs. 
1875. DiflE. 
in. 
in. 
in. 
in. 
in. in. 
C Jan 
3-574 
2-569 
-1-1-005 
21 -) 
1 , 
47 
45 
^ Feb 
0-737 
2-358 
—1-621 
10 [ 
7-210 
5-133 2-077 
(.March ... 
0-822 
2-283 
—1-461 
14; 
j 
f April 
0-898 
2-016 
—1-118 
I 
40 
40 
< May 
2069 
2-285 
—0-216 
15 [ 
7-151 
6-527 — 0-624 
(. June 
3-560 
2-850 
+0-710 
19; 
j 
( July 
4-597 
3-562 
4-1-035 
15) 
1 1 
55 
48 
■< August .. 
4998 
3-538 
4-1-460 
19 [ 
10-431 
14-330 +3-899 
(.Sept. ... 
4-735 
3-331 
4-1-404 
14; 
1 
r October . 
4-455 
3-903 
4-0-552 
14^ 
i 
61 
37 
j Nov 
4-225 
3-783 
+0'442 
13 ( 
10 921 
9-500 —1-421 
(. Dec 
0-820 
3-235 
—2-415 
10 ; 
i 
203 
170 
35-490 
35-713 
— 0-223 
170 
05-713 
35-490 —0-223 
1 1 
