396 
MESSRS. DE LA RUE, STEWART, AND LOEWY’S RESEARCHES 
From this Table it would appear that these observations so treated exhibit for Jupiter 
and Venus an excess of solar activity when these two planets are together, and a defi- 
ciency when they are apart, and that the same kind of influence, slightly modified in 
form, is exhibited in the case of Venus and Mercury. 
Postscript (added 5th March). — Received March 10, 1870. 
Since writing the above we have thought it worth while to investigate, after the 
manner we have described, the influence, if any, upon solar disturbance of the relative 
positions of Mercury and J upiter, and also that of Mercury alone in its varying distances 
from the sun, and we have obtained the following results : — 
Table VI b. 
Angular separation* between Mercury and his Perihelion Mercury and Jupiter. 
0 0 (Perihelion =0). 
0 and 
30 
- 380 
-227 
30 „ 
60 
-1188 
-317 
60 „ 
90 
-1287 
-594 
90 „ 
120 
-1262 
-714 
]20 „ 
150 
-1208 
-508 
150 „ 
180 
-1027 
-491 
180 „ 
210 
- 519 
-416 
210 „ 
240 
+ 430 
-189 
240 „ 
270 
+ 1082 
- 25 
270 „ 
300 
+ 1436 
+ 154 
300 „ 
330 
+ 1282 
+ 164 
330 „ 
360 
+ 586 
- 45 
The numbers in the above Table are smaller than those in the Tables already given ; 
but this may be owing to the method of equalization we have adopted, which will neces- 
sarily tell very greatly in small periods. 
Nevertheless there appears to be a certain amount of likeness between the march of 
the numbers in the four periods which we have investigated, namely, those of Venus 
and Jupiter, Venus and Mercury, Mercury and his Perihelion, and Mercury and 
Jupiter. 
We desire to record this rather as a result brought out by a certain specified method 
of treating the material at our disposal, than as a fact from which we are at present 
prepared to draw conclusions. As the investigation of these and similar phenomena 
proceeds it may be hoped that much light will be thrown upon the causes of sun-spot 
periodicity. 
July 11, 1870. — Sir J. IJekschel has kindly permitted us to append the following 
remarks which he has made upon the foregoing paper : — 
* In all the above Tables equal angles have been supposed to be described in equal times ; there will be a 
slight correction on this account for Mercury and his Perihelion. 
