in the length of the pendulum vibrating seconds. 395 
to 55°-5& , -3 9", we have 55°-58'.4,o",8 for the latitude of the 
pendulum. 
Latitude of Clifton, 
In “ an account of the measurement of an arc of the meri- 
dian,” by Lieut. Col. Mudge, a singular anomaly presents 
itself, which since the year 1802, when this measurement was 
made, has been considered with much interest, and in various 
points of view by the scientific world. Instead of the degrees 
of the meridian increasing with the latitude, as is the case in 
an oblate spheroid, they appear by this measurement to 
decrease. This remarkable circumstance was examined by 
Don Joseph Rodriguez, in an ingenious paper published in 
the Philosophical Transactions for 1812. The author pro- 
ceeding according to a method of verification given by M. 
Delambre in the “ Base M6trique,” calculates upon the ellip- 
tic hypothesis the length of the whole arc and of each of its 
parts in seconds, and from the observed latitude of Clifton, 
the northern extremity of the arc, deduces that of Dunnose, 
the southern extremity, and of Arbury Hill, an intermediate 
station which divides the total arc into two nearly equal 
parts. Don Joseph Rodriguez then compares the celestial 
arcs given by Col. Mudge’s observations, with those resulting 
from his own calculations, and concludes that the total obsei~ved 
arc between Clifton and Dunnose is in excess i",38 ; that, 
between Clifton and Arbury 4/', 77; and that the southern 
portion of the arc between Arbury Hill and Dunnose, is 3", 39 
in defect. The author adds, that “ it seems almost beyond a 
“ doubt, that it is to errors in the observations of latitude, 
“ that the appearance of progressive augmentation of degrees 
“ towards the equator is to be ascribed,” and that “ it is espe- 
