2. _Sir James South’s Telescope._--About the year 1829, Sir J. South, President of the London Astronomical Society, procured of M. Cauchoix of Paris, an achromatic object glass of 11-2/10 inches, clear aperture, and of 19 feet focal length. The flint glass employed in its construction was the manufacture of the late Guinaud le Pere, and was found to be absolutely perfect. The first observation was made with this telescope, while on a temporary stand, on Feb. 13, 1830, when Sir J. Herschel discovered with it a _sixth_ star in the trapezium in the nebula of Orion, whose brightness was about one third of that of the fifth star discovered by Struve, which is as distinctly seen as the companion to Polaris is in a five feet achromatic. Sir James gives the following notices of the performance of this instrument on the morning of May 14, 1830. ‘At half past two, placed the 20 feet achromatic on the Georgium Sidus, saw it with a power of 346, a beautiful planetary disc; not the slightest suspicion of any ring, either perpendicular or horizontal; but the planet three hours east of the meridian, and the moon within three degrees of the planet.’ At a quarter before three, viewed _Jupiter_ with 252 and 346, literally covered with belts, and the diameters of his satellites might have been as easily measured as himself. One came from behind the body, and the contrast of the colour with that of the planet’s limb was striking. At three o’clock viewed _Mars_. The contrast of light in the vicinity of the poles very decided. Several spots on his body well and strongly marked--that about the south pole seems to overtake the body of the planet, and gives an appearance not unlike that afforded by the new moon, familiarly known as ‘the old moon in the new moon’s arms.’ _Saturn_ has been repeatedly seen with powers from 130 to 928 under circumstances the most favourable; but not any thing anomalous about the planet or its ring could even be suspected. This telescope is erected on an Equatorial stand at Sir J. South’s observatory, Kensington.
3. _Captain Smyth’s Telescope in his private observatory at Bedford._--This Achromatic telescope is 8-1/2 feet focal length, with a clear aperture of 5-9/10 inches worked by the late Mr. Tulley, Senior, from a disk purchased by Sir James South at Paris. It is considered by Captain Smyth to be the finest specimen of that eminent optician’s skill, and, it is said, will bear with distinctness, a magnifying power of 1200. Its distinctness has been proved by the clear vision it gives of the obscure nebulæ, and of the companions of Polaris, Rigel, α Lyræ, and the most minute double stars---the lunar mountains, cavities and shadows under all powers--the lucid polar regions of Mars--the sharpness of the double ring of Saturn--the gibbous aspect of Venus--the shadows of Jupiter’s satellites across his body, and the splendid contrast of colours in α Hercules, γ Andromedæ and other superb double stars.