Dr. Herschel's Miscellaneous Observations. 25 
telescope, which permitted not a star of the 10th magnitude to 
escape me. When it increased again, it did not amount to the 
brightness of <h 
In 1784, I saw it only of the 8th magnitude in a twenty- 
feet reflector, but as I did not continue to observe it regularly, 
it might possibly change as usual. 
In 1789, it arrived to the brightness of a Piscium, or rather 
excelled it. 
In 1790, the greatest brightness was almost equal to that of 
« Ceti. 
In the present year, I have seen it only of the magnitude of y 
Ceti nearly; or between y and d; but, as bad weather haS'OC- 
casioned many interruptions, it may possibly have been larger. 
The period of 333 days, assigned by Bouillaud, does not 
agree with present observations compared to those of Fabri- 
ciusmade on the 13th of August, 1596, when this star was in 
its greatest lustre. M. Cassini also found, that his observations, 
in the beginning of August, 1703, when the star was brightest, 
did not agree with the interval of 333 days ; and therefore, sup- 
posing the star to have changed 117 times since the epoch of 
Fabric ius, he gave it a period of 334 days. This will, however, 
not agree with the present time of the changes ; and it appears 
now that M. Cassini ought to have assumed 118 instead of 
117 variations ; which would have pointed out a period of 331 
days, and some hours. 
That this is, probably, very near the real time of the star's va- 
riation, will be seen when we admit it to have undergone 214 
changes between the 13th of August, 1596, and the 21st of Oc- 
tober, 1790 ; by which long interval we obtain the period of 
33 1 days, 10 hours, 19 minutes. It will, indeed, be necessary, 
mdccxcii. E 
