THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA SELECTED PAPERS a n d PROCEEDINGS 1902 A N D 1903 EDITED BY ARTHUR HARVEY, F.R.S.C. TORONTO: Z. M. COLLINS, PUBLISHER TO THE SOCIETY. 1904. The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada T h e L a t e GEORGE EDWARD LUMSDEN, F.R.A.S. MEMBER OF THE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF FRANCE, HONORARY MEMBER OF THE ASTRONOMICL SOCIETY OF MEXICO, PRESIDENT OF THE TORONTO ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY 1900 AND 1901. THE Ro y a l Astronomical So c iety OF C a n a d a SELECTED PAPERS a n d PROCEEDINGS 1902 A N D 1903 EDITED BY ARTHUR HARVEY, F.R.S.C. TORONTO: Z. M. COLLINS, PUBLISHER TO THE SOCIETY. 1904. THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA Officers, 1904 Honorary President—The Hon. RICHARD HARCOURT, M.A., LL.D., K.C., M.P.P., MINISTER OF EDUCATION, ONTARIO. President—C. A. CHANT, M.A., (Tor.),Ph.D. (Har.), Lecturer in Physics, Toronto University. First Vice-President—ALFRED T. De LURY, M.A., Associate Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy, Toronto University. Second Vice-President—W. BALFOUR MUSSON, 22 Park Road, Toronto. Treasurer—J. EDWARD MAYBEE, M.E., 103 Bay St., Toronto. Secretary—J. R. COLLINS, 131 Bay St., Toronto. Recorder—MISS ELSIE A. DENT, 17 St. James Ave. Librarian—ALFRED McFARLANE, M.A., Toronto. Curator—ROBERT S. DUNCAN, 516 Ontario Street. Other Members of Council Honoris Causa : Elected: A. ERVINS, Past President. A. F. MILLER. 280 Carlton L. W. SMITH, D.C.R., K.C., Street, Toronto. Past President. Rev. ROBERT ATKINSON, J. A. PATERSON, M.A. 548 Ontario Street, Toronto. Past President. Rev. D. B. MARSH, D.Sc. A. HARVEY, F.R.S.C., Hon. Aberdeen Ave., Hamilton. President and Director El Institute Solar Internacional, Monte Video. Past President. R. F. STUPART, F.R.S.C., Director of the Toronto Observatory and Superintendent of the Dominion Meteorological Service, Past President. i v . The Royal Astronomical H onorary FeIIows Limited to Fifteen. SIR ROBERT STAWELL BARR, K t ., M.A., F.R.S., F.R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Lowndean Professor of Astronomy, King’s College, Cambridge, England. PROFESSOR EDWARD EMERSON BARNARD, M.A., D.Sc., F.R.A.S., Astronomer Yerkes Obervatory, etc., Williams Bay, Wisc,, U.S.A. JOHN A. BRASHEAR, D.Sc., F.R.A.S. Chancellor of and Professor of Astronomy in the Western University of Pensylvania, Director of the Alleghany Observatory, etc., Alleghany, Pa., U.S.A. WILLIAM HENRY MAHONEY CHRISTIE, M.A., C.B., F.R.S., F.R.A.S., Etc., Etc.. Astronomer Royal, Greenwich, England. GEORGE HOWARD DARWIN, M.A., LL.D. (Glasgow), D.Sc. (Dublin), Dr. Phil. Nat. (Padua), F.R.S. F.R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, England. ARTHUR M. W. DOWNING, D.Sc., F.R.S., F.R.A.S., Etc., Superintendent of the Nautical Almanac, Verulam Building, London, Eng. M. CAMILLE FLAMMARION, Astronome, For. As’e, R.A.S. Membre de l’lnstitute de France ; Membre du Bureau des Longitudes ; Past President and one of the founders of La Societe Astronomique de France, etc., etc. ; Directeur de l ’Observatoire, Juvisy, Seine et Oise, France. SIR SANDFORD FLEMING, C.E., K.C.M.G., LL.D., Etc., Chancellor Queen’s University, Kingston; Winterholme, Ottawa, Canada. PROFESSOR GEORGE EDWARD HARE, D.Sc., F.R.A.S. Director of the Yerkes Observatory, Williams Bay, and of the Kenwood Physical Observatory, University of "Chicago, Ill., Williams Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.A. PROFESSOR EDWARD HOLDEN, LL.D., For. As’e, R.AS. etc., etc., New York City, N.Y., U.S.A. SIR WILLIAM HUGGINS, K.C.B., D.C.L., (Oxon., Cantab., Edin. et Dubl.), Ph.D. (Lugd. Bat.) F.R.S., F.R.A.S., Hon. F.R.S.E., Cor. l’Institut de France, 99 Upper Tulse Hill, London, S.W ., England. PROFESSOR SAMUEL PIERPONT LANGLEY, LL.D., For. As’e, R.A.S., Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., etc., Society of Canada. v. M. MAURICE LOEWY, Membre de l’lnstitute de France et du Bureau des Longitudes, Directeur de l’Observatoire de Paris, Membre des Academies de Berlin, St. Petersburg, Vienne et Washington, et For. As’e, R.A.S., etc., etc., l’Observatoire, Paris, France. PROFESSOR SIMON NEWCOMB, L L .D., For, As’e, R.A.S., Cor. l’Institut de France etc., etc., Washington, D.C. PROFESSOR EDWARD CHARLES PICKERING, LL.D., For. As’e, R.A.S., Etc., Etc. Director Harvard College Observatory, Cambridge, Mass., U.S.A. Corresponding F ellows Limited to Twenty-five. SHELBURNE WESLEY BURNHAM, M.A., F.R.A.S., Etc. Astronomer Yerkes Observatory, Williams Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.A. MISS AGNES M. CLERKE, 68 Redcliffe Square, London, S.W., England. WILLIAM FREDERICK DENNING, F.R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Bishopston, Bristol, England. THE REVEREND T. H. E. C. ESPIN, M.A., F.R.A.S., Etc., Dirctor of the Wolsingham Observatory, Tow Law, Darlington, England. JOHN ELLARD GORE, F.R.A.S., M.R.I.A., Etc., Etc., Ballysodare, Ireland. M. PAUL HENRY, For. As’e, R.A.S., The Observatory, Paris, France. W. F. KING, C.E., D.L.S., Etc., Etc., Chief Astronomer, Department of the Interior, Ottawa, Canada. Director Government Observatory. EDWARD WALTER MAUNDER, F.R.A.S., Etc., Etc., First-Class Physical Assistant, Greenwich Observatory, London. W. H. S. Monck, F.R.A.S. 16 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin, Ireland. PROFESSOR CLEMENT McLEOD, Ma.E., F.R.S.C., Member Can. Soc. C.E. Superintendent of McGill College Observatory. Montreal, P.Q. THE RIGHT REVEREND J. A. NEWNHAM, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Moosonee, Moose Factory, Ontario. WILLIAM H. PICKERING, M.A., Etc., Etc., Astronomer, Harvard College Observatory, Cambridge, Mass., U.S.A. LEWIS SWIFT, Ph.D., F.R.A.S. Etc., Marathon, New York. U.S.A. PROFESSOR A. WOLFER, Director of the Observatory, Zurich, Switzerland. v i . The Royal Astronomical Patron of A stronomy LARRATT WILLIAM SMITH, D.C.L., K.C., Etc. Life F ellows ALFRED T. DeLURY, M.A., University of Toronto. Associate Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy. ANDREW ELVINS, E s q ., 217 Huron Street, Toronto. LARRATT WILLIAM SMITH, D.C.L., K.C., Ex Vice-Chancellor of the University of Toronto. LADY W ILSON, 34 Russell Street, Toronto. JOSEPH POPE, C.M.G., Etc., Ottawa. Under-Secretary of State. A ssociates Abraham, Rev. Robert H ., D.Sc., 67 Winchester St., Toronto. Atkinson, R ev. Robert, 548 Ontario St., Baldwin, Mrs. M. E., Mashquoteh, Deer Park, Balmer, Mrs. 131 Grace St. Bertram, John, ex-M.P., 9 Walmer Rd., “ Banks, Miss Greenhow, 59 Isabella St. Barr, J. Miller, St. Catharines, Ontario. Biggar, Emerson B., Toronto. Blake, F. L ., D.R.S., Astronomer Magnetic Observatory ‘‘ Blue, Archibald, F.A.A.A.S., Etc., Census Commissioner, Ottawa. Britnell, John, 248 Yonge St., Toronto. Bryce, Peter Henderson, M.A., M.D., Humewood, Bracondale, Ontario. Burke, Rev. J. W ., B. A, Rector and Canon, Belleville, Burns, J. M., Vancouver, B. C. Burwash, Rev. John, M.A., D.Sc., Victoria College, Toronto. Cameron, P., 286 Jarvis St., Toronto. Carpmael, Miss Agnes M. Rosedale, Toronto. Chant, Clarence A., M.A., (Tor.), Ph.D., (Har.) 52 Avenue Rd., “ Charles, Herbert J., Aurora, Ontario. Society o f Canada . vii. Cl a r k , J o h n Mu r r a y , K.C., 24 Elgin Ave., Toronto. Co l l in s, J o h n R o b in e t t e , 131 Bay St., “ Co llin s, Zoro M. “ “ Co pl a n d , J. A., Harriston, Ontario. D eL u r y , A l f r e d T., M. A. (Tor.), Life Fellow, etc., 110 Bedford Rd., Toronto. Du n ca n , R o b e r t , 516 Ontario St., De n t , Miss E l s ie A., 17 St. James Ave., D e n t , Miss L il l ia n M., “ De w a r , R o b e r t , 148 York St,, E l v in s , A n d r e w , Life Fellow, etc., 217 Huron St., E d d is , M r s. W . C., 23 Charles St., E d d is , W il t o n C., 23 Charles St., E l l is , J o h n , Swansea, F a w c e t t , M iss L a u r a , 20 Rose Ave., F a r q u h a r , J. D., 185 Seaton St., F l e t c h e r , M r s. J o h n , 372 Huron St., F r a s e r , A l e x a n d e r , Parliament Buildings, G il c h r is t , M iss J e a n , 56 Scollard St., H adden, David Edward, F.R.A.S., etc., Alta, Iowa, U.S.A. H arrison, H enry, The Observatory, Jersey City, N. J., U.S.A. H arvey, Arthur, F.R.S.C., etc., 80 Crescent Rd., Toronto. Hamilton, J. Cleland, M.A., LL.B., 86 Glen Rd., “ H enderson, Judson, 77 St. Patrick St., “ H orton, Albert, 64 Howard St., H owell, D a v id J., 10 Czar St., “ H owett, Rev. F. E., Hamilton, Ontario. H ughes, James Lauchlan, P.S.I., 68 Henry St., Toronto. Hull, Prof. G. F errie, Ph.D., Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H.,U.S.A. H u n t e r , A. F ., M.A., Barrie, Ontario. J e n k in s , G eo r g e P e r r y , Burlington, “ K ir sc h m a n n , A., Ph.D., University College, Toronto.