74 
Sir George Shuckburgh's Account 
telescope of 8 or 10 feet long, giving it a motion parallel to 
the equator ; and hence some person, not very learned, gave it 
the name. Machine parallactique, as if 7rapaXXayC\<& and rrapaX- 
Xi]X<&> were the same word. It is true that the early astrono- 
mers did use a machine called Regulce parallactic ce, but that 
was an instrument to take the altitudes of the moon, and 
from thence to determine her parallax. Nor can I say much 
in favour of a machine of the same name, described in Mr. 
La Lande’s Astron. Vol. II. § 2004, which certainly does 
not do a great deal of credit to the state of the mathematical 
arts amongst the French; it however may have its conve- 
nience, as it is probably attainable at a very small expence. 
The author last mentioned speaks (§ 2409) of an equatorial 
in his possession, made by one Vayringe in 1737, with 
circles of 7 or 8 inches diameter, but of what construction we 
are not informed ; and the name of the artist is, I confess, 
totally new to me. An instrument also of this nature, made 
by Megnie, for the President De Saron, is described, and 
seems to be well imagined for a portable machine. This 
very amiable and ingenious gentleman, Mons. De Saron, 
was so obliging, amongst other civilities when I was at Paris 
in 1775, to shew me a small reflector upon an equatorial 
stand, with some wheel work to keep it constantly following 
a star, together with an apparatus for the refraction, altitude, 
and azimuth, if I recollect right ; and in the year 1778 Mr. 
William Russel, a late worthy member of the Royal So- 
ciety, shewed me a small instrument of the same kind, that 
had been made by the late Mr. Bird. 
( 12.) From the preceding account, it must appear that the 
equatorial instruments hitherto made, either from the small- 
