187 6MNRAS. .36. .204 .

•204 * He]}orí of the Council to the xxxvi. 4,

the results of further observations of the fourth satellite. Com-

paring each observed magnitude assigned to it with the posi-
tion the satellite occupied in its orbit at the time of observation,
he has found that the smallest magnitudes were observed when
the satellite was in the eastern half of its orbit, while the largest
generally occur in the western half. From this it is considered
that there is some evidence in favour of the hypothesis that this
satellite rotates in a similar manner to the Moon, its face being
always turned towards Jupiter. In this case, the greater and less
luminous portions of its hemisphere would be turned towards
the Sun when the satellite is respectively in the superior westerly
and inferior easterly quarters of its orbit. This hypothesis,
however, does not account for all the observed variations of
lustre in this satellite which appears to be also subject to atmo-
spheric disturbances which affect its reflective surface.

Abd-al-rahman al-Sufi's “ Description des Étoiles Fixes."

A very interesting and valuable contribution to ancient

astronomy has appeared during the past year. It is entitled
Description des Étoiles Fixes, composée au milieu du dixième siècle
de notre ère, by the Persian astronomer Abd-al-rahman al-Sufi,
and is literally translated from two Arabic manuscripts, one pre-
served in the Royal Library of Copenhagen, and the other in
the Imperial Library of St. Petersburg, with Kotes, by Dr.
Schjellerup, of the Observatory of Copenhagen. The first of
these manuscripts is a copy made in 1601, from another directly
transcribed from that of Sufi, and was in the possession of
Kiebuhr in 1763. After its translation had been completed,
M. Dorn, of St. Petersburg, procured for Dr. Schjellerup the
second manuscript, which had only been recently acquired by the
Imperial Library, and of which M. Dorn had already given a
brief description.
The author of this ancient Uranometria was born in the year
903 of our era, his name indicating that he belonged to the sect
of the Sufis of Rai, east of Teheran. He appears to have been
a man of great natural talent, living at the Court of Schiraz and
at Bagdad, where he enjoyed a great reputation for his learning.
He was in high favour with the reigning prince, for whose
instruction this work on the stars appears to have been written.
The descriptions of the stars are founded on Ptolemy ; but although
his magnitudes generally agree with those of Ptolemy, yet there
are sufficient variations to show that Sufi’s magnitudes are not a
simple translation from the older work. An inspection of Sufi’s
observations soon makes us believe that all the stars have been
examined and re-examined with attention, showing how truly
the old astronomer had accomplished his purpose. Dr. Schjellerup
remarks ; “ One can soon see the vast extent of his works, the

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