contradictory to the theory which implies that the comet was Halley's. The Chinese records are silent as regards this year.
A comet appeared in 451, as to which there is little doubt that it was Halley's, according to the investigations of Laugier. It was seen in Europe about the time of the celebrated battle of Châlons, when the Roman general Aetius defeated Attila, the leader of the Huns, who had been ravaging central Europe. In China the comet was observed from the middle of May till the middle of July during which period it moved from the Pleiades into Leo and Virgo, a track which agrees with the path which Halley's Comet would have followed if its perihelion passage took place on July 3.
In 373 the Chinese annals record a comet in Ophiuchus in October, which Hind thought would fit in with the probable position of Halley's Comet if the perihelion passage took place about the beginning of November. But another Chinese authority records a comet much earlier in the year, namely in March and April, which must have been visible all through the summer if it were the same as the October comet.
In 295 there was a comet observed in China, the identity of which with Halley's Hind thought to be "nearly certain". It seems to have been visible in May after perihelion passage at the commencement of April.
In the year 218 a large comet is recorded both by European and Chinese chroniclers. Dion Cassius describes it as a very fearful star with a tail extending from the W. towards the E. The Chinese catalogue of Ma-tuan-lin gives it a path exactly in agreement with the path which would be followed by Halley's Comet when the perihelion falls about the first week in April. The description given is that it was "pointed and bright".
In 141 the Chinese observed a comet in March and April, "6 or 7 cubits long" and of a bluish-white colour. The elements of a comet following a path such as that described in some detail by the Chinese annalist would not be widely different from those of Halley's Comet; and the comet is the only one recorded about this epoch.
The preceding apparition should have taken place either
