Mr. Pond on the parallax of the fixed stars. 357 
total discordance of nearly o",3, which I really think exceeds 
the limits of my uncertainty.* 
Should the parallax of a Cygni be admitted to be insensi- 
ble, it would follow from the observations with the mural 
circle, that it was equally so in a Lyras and 7 Draconis, as these 
stars have assiduously been observed during a period of 5 or 6 
years, without any perceptible difference at opposite seasons. 
Of a Aquilas, I cannot speak with the same confidence, but 
as I propose to make my observations of this star the subject 
of a separate communication, I need not now anticipate it, 
and shall only observe, that in a star so far from the Zenith, 
it would be rather unsafe to ascribe any small discordance to 
parallax, except confirmed in brighter stars more advan- 
tageously situated for observation. 
Table I. Contains all the observations made with the in- 
strument corrected for the usual equations, /3 Aurigae is ob- 
served on the northern wire, the other three stars on the 
southern wire. 
Table II. Contains the results arranged in three series. 
Table III. Contains in a similar manner the results of « 
Cygni and $ Cygni, but the early observations of $ Cygni are 
not to be relied on, the star being scarcely visible from its 
vicinity to the sun, the uncertainty I think does not exceed 
o",25. It is evident that they both have the same parallax. 
Tables IV. and V. Give the coefficient of parallax, and 
require no explanation. 
* This very small uncertainty may, I think, be somewhat diminished by the foN 
lowing consideration : the mean of all the observations in March, April, September, 
and October, should give the summer distance of these two stars under any theory 
either of parallax or annual motion. Now the mean of 50 observations in these 
months is 18'". j 5. The exact coincidence of this quantity with that found by actual 
observation, indicates that the small discordance above noticed is not accidental, but 
in its progress is something similar to annual variation. 
In the case of the Pole star, I find an annual variation that cannot be deduced 
from any comparison of distant observations. 
