2i 6 Dr. Herschel on the Quantity 
The contents of this Table will enable us to examine the 
motions of the stars in different points of view. For instance, 
by the apparent motions in the third column, and their direc- 
tions in the fourth, a figure may be drawn which will repre- 
sent the actual state of the heavens, with respect to those 
annual changes in the situations of our 36 stars, which in 
astronomical tables are called their proper motions. 
Fig. 1, Plate IV. gives us these motions brought into one 
view, so that by supposing successively every one of the stars 
to be represented by the central point of the figure, we may 
see the angular quantity and direction of the several annual 
proper motions represented by the line which is drawn from 
the centre to each star. By this means we have the compa- 
rative arrangement and quantity of these movements with 
respect to their directions. 
Fig. 3 represents the same motions, but instead of being 
drawn so as to show their directions with regard to the 
several meridians and parallels of the stars, they are laid 
down by the angles contained in the fifth column ; and will 
therefore indicate their arrangement with respect to a line 
drawn from the solar apex towards the parallactic centre. 
These directions will remain the same, whatever may be the 
velocity of the solar motion upon which we shall ultimately 
fix, provided no change be made in the situation of the apex 
towards which the sun has been admitted to move. 
In these two figures, the lines drawn from the centre give 
us only the angular changes of the places that have been 
either observed or calculated, and not the velocities which are 
<3> 
required in the stars to produce them. It will therefore be 
necessary to represent the velocities by two other figures, in 
