which is possible, but not very probable. I could not see your comet with the night glass, nor would its faintness allow of illuminating the wires. I remain, dear Miss Caroline, Your obedient and obliged humble servant, N. MASKELYNE. DR. HERSCHEL TO SIR H. ENGLEFIELD. _December 22, 1788._ SIR,— Your intelligence of the comet I received, but on account of the long time elapsed since the 2nd and 3rd of this month we have not been able to recover the fugitive. Last night, however, my sister discovered a comet near β Lyræ, which you will find no difficulty to follow as its motion is very slow, and the comet a pretty visible object. We saw it again this morning, and it seems to go towards δ Lyræ, you will see it pass by β Lyræ. It is a much larger object than the nebula near β Lyræ, discovered by Mr. Darquier, of Toulouse (_Connoissance des Temps_, 75). SIR H. ENGLEFIELD TO DR. HERSCHEL. PETERSHAM, _December 25, 1788_. DEAR SIR,— I am much obliged to you for your account of the comet, and beg you to make my compliments to Miss Herschel on her discovery. She will soon be the great comet finder, and bear away the prize from Messier and Mechain. The weather yesternight was bad, and to-night I have looked for it, in the moments of fine weather, with a good night-glass, but am not sure that I saw it, though I thought I perceived it about half-way between β and δ Lyræ. The glass I used showed D’Arquier’s nebula, though but faintly. Before I could get any other telescope ready, the weather clouded. If you have seen it again, pray be so good as to give me its place when you saw it last, and with what power and light it may be seen. I was going to write to Messier about his comet, but have deferred it, as I would not mention yours without your leave, and could not find it in my heart to write without doing it. Believe me, dear Sir, With all the wishes of the season, Your much obliged and faithful H. C. ENGLEFIELD. [Sidenote: 1788-1790. _The Third Comet seen._] DR. HERSCHEL TO SIR J. BANKS. SIR,— The last time I was in town, you expressed a wish to see my observations on the comet which my sister, Caroline Herschel, discovered in the evening of the 21st of last December, not far from β Lyræ. As she immediately acquainted the Reverend Dr. Maskelyne and several other gentlemen with her discovery, the comet was observed by many of them. The Astronomer Royal in particular having, I find, obtained a very good set of valuable observations on its path, it will be sufficient if I communicate only those particulars which relate to its first appearance, and a few other circumstances that may perhaps deserve to be noticed.