The reflecting circle consists of a circular polished brass frame, with traces of varnish, a plate and an open frame connected by steel pillars, with the plate serving as a handle. The instrument has three rigidly connected index arms, which are engraved ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ at the base of each arm. There is no tangent screw or clamping screw. The index arm is moved by a square-headed screw and a separate key, which is missing. The circle has two shades, probably for sliding on the dovetail rail inside the frame, which are missing. Index-glass adjustment is made by a screw and on the horizon glass by a screw and a capstan screw.

Attached to the instrument is a single lens magnifier on a 33mm hinged swivelling arm. The detached, non-adjustable, threaded telescope bracket is for mounting on the back of the frame. The telescope is 82 mm in length with an inverted image. An extra drawtube is 68 mm long with an inverted image. Accompanying the instrument are two oculars, one of which is broken, an adjusting pin, and two shaded eyepieces, one in orange and one in red, the latter of which has an extra swivelling red shade used to obtain a darker filter.
The instrument has a polished brass limb with an inlaid silver scale indicated from 140° to 0° to 140°, at 240° and at 360°, although the entire scale is divided by 30 arcminutes. The reflecting circle has three silver verniers measuring to 1 arcseconds, with the zeros at the left.

The reflecting circle is contained in a square fitted wooden box of which the lid is missing.

This is a Troughton-type reflecting circle by which the glasses are mounted within the protective frame.