The construction of the instrument which forms the subject of this paper, is a material improvement on that of the horizontal floating collimator, of which an account was given by the author in the Philosophical Transactions for 1825. Its superiority is derived from its adaptation to the vertical instead of the horizontal position, by which the sources of error arising from the necessity of transferring the instrument to different sides of the observatory, and of taking the float out of the mercury and replacing it, at each observation, are wholly obviated. The vertical floating collimator has the further advantage of being adapted for use, not only with a circle, but also with a telescope, either of the refracting or reflecting kind. Such a telescope, furnished with a wire micrometer, and directed to the zenith, becomes a zenith telescope, free from all the objections to which the zenith sector, and the zenith telescope, with a plumb line, are liable. The instrument itself is supported on a square mahogany stand, which slides on two parallel beams fixed at the upper part of the observatory in the direction of the meridian, and which has a circular aperture in the centre, having at its edge a projecting rim of iron to admit of the passage of the telescope. The telescope, of which the focal length is 8 inches, is supported in the vertical position by a bridge connecting it with a circular iron ring, 10 inches and 6/10 ths in diameter, which floats in mercury. The mercury is contained in a circular iron trough, the central aperture of which is sufficiently large to allow of its turning freely round the rim, which rises from the margin of the aperture of the stand. The object-glass of the telescope is placed at its lowest end, and its focus is occupied by a diaphragm, composed of two brass plates, each cut so as to form an angle of 135°, and placed opposite to each other, so that the angular points are brought to an accurate coincidence; thus leaving on each side intervening spaces, which form vertical angles of 45° each. The telescope below, whether belonging to a circle or a zenith telescope, is to be directed so that the image of these angles shall be bisected by the micrometer wire; for which purpose the diaphragm of the collimator is illuminated by a bull’s-eye lantern, placed at a convenient distance upon one of the beams crossing the observatory, the light being reflected downwards by a plane mirror placed on a screen with a suitable aperture immediately above the collimator. The collimator is then to be turned half round in azimuth, the motion being facilitated by rollers, and limited, as to extent, by two catches which receive a projecting wire fixed to the outer circle of the trough. When in this situation, the observation of the diaphragm by the telescope, and the bisection of its angles, are to be repeated, and the mean of the two positions will indicate the exact point of the zenith.