towards the W. This Comet in the opinion of Dr. Bembridge the great mathematician of Oxford, was as far above the Moon as the Moon is above the Earth; what it portended is only known to God, but the sequel of it was that infinite slaughters and devastations followed upon it both in Germany and in other countries. It appeared for 10 months together."—(Sir Richard Baker, Chronicle of the Kings of England, published in 1684.)
[18.] 1633. "A Comet like a launce hung over Barcelona."—(Chronological History of the Air, Meteors, &c., 1749.)
[19.] 1664. Towards the end of the year a comet appeared; and after that, two at once: the first was seen in the S.E. for about two months, the other in the S.W., but their tails were opposite to one another.—(Hamel, Travels in Corea.)
[20.] 1717. On Monday, June 10 (o. s.), Dr. Halley discovered a small telescopic comet. Its position at 11 o'clock that evening was ⤢ 17º 12′ and 4º 12′ south latitude, near 2 stars. On June 11 and 15 the 2 stars were recognised, but the comet was gone.—(Phil. Trans., vol. xxx, No. 354, p. 721.)
[21.] 1893. On April 16 a comet, with a tail more than 1º long, impressed itself on certain photographs taken of the total eclipse of the Sun of that date, but it was never seen afterwards.—(Schaeberle, in Astronomy and Astro-Physics, vol. xiii, April, 1894.)
[22.] 1895. In Dec. Du Celliée Muller of Nymegen in company with a friend claimed to have seen a bright comet near Venus, with a tail inclined to the horizon at an angle of 35º. This comet [?] was seen by no one else; and the reality of its existence was considered doubtful.—(Ast. Nach., vol. cxxxix, No. 3332, Feb. 5, 1896; Month. Not. R.A.S., vol. lvii, p. 276, February 1897.)
[23.] 1896. On Sept. 20 a small bright comet was seen by L. Swift 1º E. of the Sun. It was seen again the next day with a telescope, having moved N. and become fainter. No position was given or suggested, and the observation was never confirmed. Swift even fancied he had seen two comets.—(Ast. Nach., vol. cxli, No. 3379, Sept. 26, 1896; Ib., No. 3384, Oct. 23, 1896; Month. Not. R.A.S., vol. lvii, p. 276, Feb. 1897.)
[24.] 1905. Three photographic plates taken at the Carnegie Observatory, Mount Wilson, California, U.S., on July 22, were subsequently found to disclose a comet in motion whose position was worked out to be as follows:—1905, July 22, 16h 20m 15s G. M. T., R. A. 18h 23m 15s: Declination S., 20º 30′. The R.A. and Decl. both increased during the 2½ hours which elapsed between the first and last photographs: as no other observations were obtained the comet must be considered lost.—(E. E. Barnard, Ast. Nach., vol. clxxiv, No. 4153. Feb. 6, 1907.)
[25.] 1905. On Nov. 29 Slipher, at the Lowell Observatory, U.S., obtained by a photographic plate evidence of the existence of two comets, one of which showed a double tail. As the announcement was not made for some time after the plate was taken, and as the motion of the comets was uncertain, no further observations were possible. The part of the sky photographed was in the constellation Aquarius.—(Month. Not. R.A.S., vol. lxvi, p. 220, Feb. 1906.) [Queer things are often reported from the other side of the Atlantic.]
