1$ Mr. Herschel's and Mr. South’s observations of the apparent 
termined by ourselves, they may be regarded as true to the 
nearest minute in declination (unless for southern stars, 
where the neglect of refraction will entail a larger error), 
and to a few seconds in R. A. The identification of the stars 
being our only* object, greater accuracy was not attempted, 
than would suffice for setting the instrument directly upon 
them. 
Next follow our observations as written down at the time, 
or at least as allowed to stand, at the moment of terminating 
the measure. It would have been easy indeed, by giving 
only the mean results of whole sets of measures, to have 
produced an appearance of very exact coincidences ; but this 
has not been so much our object, as to show, by an actual 
expose of the whole work, what degree of confidence is due 
to our results, and what extent of deviation from mean quan- 
tities, other observers, who may enter upon the same en- 
quiry with similar instruments, may fairly expect to meet 
with. In this respect, very few liberties have been taken. 
* To have rendered this paper as complete as possible, it was Mr. South’s in- 
tention to have accompanied it with the observed places of each principal star, 
brought up to a particular epoch, and some progress towards effecting it was 
actually made so far back as February, i8zi : but, although the transits of fifty 
stars, over all the wires of his instrument, were occasionally observed by him in one 
night, the scheme was found to interfere so much with the primary object, that it 
was deemed advisable to relinquish it. Should, however, their places remain un- 
determined, possessing, as he does, the instrumental means of ascertaining them, 
with the greatest accuracy, his original design, (if health allow), will probably be 
not abandoned. Still, it must be remembered, that, two or three hundred double 
stars yet remain unmeasured ; this done, the period must be distant, ere a private 
individual can, with his own eyes, (be his industry great as it may), furnish standard 
observations, both in Right Ascension and Declination, of seven hundred stars, 
many of which are only visible in the illuminated fields of our large meridian in- 
struments, under circumstances which, in this country, are of very rare occurrence. 
