328 Dr. Brinkley’s observations for investigating 
thereto. It is, I think, nearly demonstrated, that no change 
of figure in the instrument has occasioned it, and that the 
uncertainties of the changes of refraction can have had only 
a very small share, if any, in producing the effect observed. 
It is not the results of a mere repetition of observations 
that I now offer to the Royal Society, but the results of nu- 
merous sets of such observations as seemed best adapted to 
examine the question in all its bearings. Some of them 
seemed particularly adapted to disprove, if wrong, the ex- 
planation by parallax. 
All attempts to arrive at results inconsistent with parallax 
have failed ; so that, as far as the new observations are con- 
cerned, my former conclusions have been strengthened in- 
stead of weakened. I do not mean, however, to assert, that 
the subject is yet divested of the difficulties attendant on it 
from other sources. Some of the results that I have found, 
although in themselves in no manner inconsistent with pa- 
rallax, will, justly perhaps with many, add to the difficulty 
of admitting the explanation by parallax. They will be un- 
willing to admit that many of the smaller stars are nearer to 
us than many of the brighter. That in a certain part of the 
heavens of considerable extent, many of the stars exhibit a 
sensible parallax. This however must be admitted, if my 
discordances result from parallax. If it be admitted, then 
several of the difficulties that have occurred by comparing 
my observations and those of Mr. Pond, will be done away. 
But I shall defer a few remarks on this head, till I have given 
an account of my own observations, and of the results 
thereof. 
The first set of results (Table 1) are from observations of 
