14^ Dr. Wilson’s Anjwer to the 
to my conclusions, on account of this circumftance not obtain* 
ing univerfally. 
Under Similar expreffions M. de la lande, in the Memoirs 
before me, produces from his own observations, which appear to 
have been long continued, only three cafes of the lame kind, 
and from the ancient observations of MeST. Cassini and 
de LA hire, four more. Iii regard to thefe laid, I am not 
lure it fuch obfolete ones ought to be referred to in a queftion 
ot the prefent kind. Thofe excellent obfervers, entertaining 
no thoughts that any thing of moment depended upon a nice 
attention to the form of the fpots, might eafily overlook lefs 
obvious circumftances, efpecially when they were found near 
the limb. We may add further, that, even when fo fituated, 
thev retain the umbra at both ends, and that whole Side of it 
which lies farthest from the center of the diSk and thefe parts 
in the aggregate, they might Sometimes miSdake for the umbra 
as not deficient in any particular place. That they did not 
a freed what muft have appeared to them a needlefs refinement in 
accuracy may be colledded from the following expreffion of M. 
de la hire, found in the Mem. Acad. 1704, p. 10. As- to this 
Spot, fays he, “ Je ne donne point ici, les figures differentes fous 
“ leSquelles cette tache a paru and, among other reafons for 
this, he gives the following: “ Car il me femble qu’on ne 
“ peut pas tirer d’utilite de ces fortes de figures qui changent 
“ continuellement/* 
But even admitting the anomaly we at prefent confider to be 
much more frequent than can be contended for, Sdill fuch cafes 
can only be brought as fo many exceptions from a certain ge- 
neral law , or uniformity of appearance, from which the condh 
tion of by far the greater number of Spots is mold undeniably 
deduced. The utmold, therefore, that can hence be alledged 
