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Astronomische Nachrichten, No. 1,969, Jan. 9.—This number contains a paper by Prof. Spoerer on M. Faye's theory of solar spots. He refers to M. Faye's statement that spots are below the surface of the sun, and to his reliance on his treatment of Carrington's observations; for if a spot be observed for two or more revolutions its distance from the limb can be calculated on the assumption that the spot is on the surface of the sun. Should, however, the observed plan of the spot not agree with the calculated position, the assumption will be that the spot is below or above the vurface of the sun. Prof. Spoerer informs us that, on the whole, his observations show that the observed distance from the limb of the sun are too great; this he ascribes to the effect of refraction altering the position of the sun's limb to a greater degree than that of the spot.—On the identity of Coggia's Comet of Nov. 10, with Comet 1818 I. by Prof. Weiss. In this paper the author gives the elements of Coggia's comet as lately determined, together with the recorded observations of Comet 1818 I. from which he considers the two comets to be identical.—In a second paper by Prof. Weiss he gives elements calculated on a parabolic orbit and on two elliptic orbits of 55.82 and 6.9775 years respectively, being on the assumption in the first case thai one revolution has happened since 1818, and in the other that eight have taken place.—Observations on variable stars, by G. T. G. Schmidt. From observations up to the end of 1873, given at length in his paper, we extract the epochs of maxima and minima of the following stars:—