Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2850 (Stephan list XII (#36), 1860 RA 09 13 57, NPD 94 21.0) is "very faint, very small, round, much brighter middle".
Physical Information: Based on a recessional velocity of 7430 km/sec, NGC 2850 is about 345 million light years away. Given that and its apparent size of 0.9 by 0.7 arcmins, it is about 90 thousand light years across.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2851 (Swift list III (#43), 1860 RA 09 14 00, NPD 105 55.3) is "extremely faint, pretty small, much extended, following (east of) III 488", (WH) III 488 being NGC 2848.
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2852 (= GC 1831 = JH 588 = WH III 629, 1860 RA 09 14 21, NPD 49 16.5) is "very faint, considerably small, round, 10th magnitude star 2 arcmin preceding (to west), 1st of 2", the other being NGC 2853.
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2853 (= GC 1832 = JH 590 = WH III 630, 1860 RA 09 14 24, NPD 49 14.7) is "very faint, small, very gradually brighter middle, 2nd of 2", the other being NGC 2852.
Physical Information: A starburst galaxy.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2854 (= GC 1833 = JH 589 = WH III 714, 1860 RA 09 14 30, NPD 40 11.7) is "considerably faint, considerably small, very little extended, pretty gradually a little brighter middle".
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2855 (= GC 1835 = JH 592 = WH I 132, 1860 RA 09 14 42, NPD 101 19.0) is "pretty bright, pretty large, round, gradually much brighter middle and nucleus".
Physical Information: Used by the de Vaucouleurs Atlas of Galaxy Types as an example of galaxy type (R)SA(r)0/a.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2856 (= GC 1836 = JH 591 = WH III 713, 1860 RA 09 14 44, NPD 40 09.3) is "considerably faint, considerably small, a little extended, brighter middle".
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2857 (= GC 1834, 3rd Lord Rosse, 1860 RA 09 15 20, NPD 40 04.4) is "very faint, pretty large, 4 stars preceding (to the west)". The position precesses to RA 09 24 51.6, Dec +49 19 46, about 2.7 arcmin southeast of the galaxy listed above, the description fits and there is nothing comparable nearby, so the identification is certain.
Discovery Notes: Although Dreyer credits the discovery to William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, he notes that many of Rosse's nebular discoveries were actually made by one of his assistants, in this case R. J. Mitchell. Also, per Gottlieb, although Mitchell's position was a bit off, his offset from NGC 2856 was spot on. Gottlieb also states that Mitchell's note includes an observation of CGCG 238-051, which Dreyer did not include in the NGC, so it is in the "NotNGC" catalog, instead.
Physical Information: Based on a recessional velocity relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation of 5055 km/sec (and H₀ = 70 km/sec/Mpc), NGC 2857 is about 235 million light-years away, in good agreement with redshift-independent distance estimates of about 65 to 230 million light-years (with a median estimate of about 220 million light-years). Given that and its apparent size of about 2.2 by 1.9 arcmin (from the images below), the galaxy is about 140 to 145 thousand light-years across.
Use By The Arp Atlas: NGC 2857 is used by the Arp Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies as an example of a spiral galaxy of low surface brightness, with the note "High contrast print of low surface brightness spiral." (Arp's image is shown here.)

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2858 (= GC 5474, Marth #161, 1860 RA 09 15 39, NPD 86 15) is "very faint, small, much brighter middle".
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2859 (= GC 1837 = JH 593 = WH I 137, 1860 RA 09 15 45, NPD 54 53.4) is "very bright, pretty large, round, suddenly much brighter middle".
Physical Information: Apparent size 4.6 by 4.1 arcmin. Used by the de Vaucouleurs Atlas of Galaxy Types as an example of galaxy type (R)SB(rl)0⁺.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2860 (Stephan list XIII (#47), 1860 RA 09 15 58, NPD 48 20.4) is "very faint, very small, round, gradually brighter middle".
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2861 (= GC 5475, Marth #162, d'Arrest, 1860 RA 09 16 20, NPD 87 18.8) is "pretty faint, small, irregularly round, 14th magnitude star following (to the east)".
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2862 (= GC 5476, d'Arrest, 1860 RA 09 16 46, NPD 62 37.8) is "faint, small, extended, brighter middle".
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2863 (= GC 1838 = JH 594 = WH III 520, 1860 RA 09 16 48, NPD 99 50.1) is "considerably faint, small, extended, between 2 stars of 12th and 16th magnitude". The second IC adds (per Howe) "2869 = 2863"; so the duplication of the entries has been known for more than a century.
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2864 (= GC 5477, Marth #163, 1860 RA 09 16 49, NPD 83 28) is "very faint, pretty large, a little extended".
Physical Information:

Physical Information: Vr 10430 km/sec, z 0.034794; see NGC 2864 for images.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2865 (= GC 1841 = JH 3161, 1860 RA 09 17 11, NPD 112 34.6) is "bright, small, round, gradually brighter middle".
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2866 (= GC 1842 = JH 3162, 1860 RA 09 17 22, NPD 140 30.4) is "a cluster, a little compressed".
Discovery Notes: Most references list the size of this cluster as about 20 arcmin, which presumably refers to a loose group of a few bright stars which are probably not members of a cluster at all, while Herschel's Cape of Good Hope observation reads "a small compact knot of stars", and must refer only to the densely packed group of fainter stars in the center of the larger region. So the supposedly larger scattering of stars has nothing to do with NGC 2866.
Physical Information: About 2.5 arcmin apparent size.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2867 (= GC 1843 = JH 3163, 1860 RA 09 17 28, NPD 147 43.0) is “a very remarkable object, a planetary nebula equal to an 8th magnitude star, very small, round, 15th magnitude star 13 arcsec distant at position angle 59°”. [The NGC actually reads 59°.13", while the GC reads 59°·13, 13", so Dreyer truncated Herschel's position for the star. Herschel observed the star on 8 nights, obtaining a large number of position angles, scattered around a mean of 59°, but in no way accurate enough to specify a position to the nearest hundredth of a degree, and the dot between the 59 and the first 13 is not a decimal point, but merely a separator. Odds are that it is supposed to indicate that the position angle was based on 13 more or less reliable measurements.]
PGC Designation Note: For purposes of completeness LEDA has assigned a PGC designation to this object, despite its not being a galaxy; but a search of the database for that designation returns no result, so it is shown in quotes.
Physical Information: Apparent size of about 0.3 by 0.3 arcmin (from the images below). Distance (from the HST press release) about 6000 light years.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2868 (Muller list II (#411), 1860 RA 09 17 30±, NPD 99 49.4) is "extremely faint, small, round, 10 seconds of time preceding (to the west of) next, (?RA 09^h 22^m)", "next" being NGC 2869. The second IC lists a corrected RA (per Howe) of 09 16 38, indicating that Dreyer's guess that the RA might have actually been 09 22 was wrong. The corrected position precesses to RA 09 23 26.8, Dec -10 25 14, only about half an arcmin north northwest of the galaxy listed above and the description fits, so the identification is certain.
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2869 (Muller list II (#412), 1860 RA 09 17 30±, NPD 99 49.4) is "extremely faint, pretty small, extended 170°, gradually brighter middle, between 2 faint stars". The second IC adds (per Howe) "2869 = 2863"; so the duplication of the entries has been known for more than a century.
Discovery Note: Muller's position was well off the mark, hence Bigourdan's successful observation of NGC 2863, but failure to find NGC 2869.
Physical Information: Given the duplicate entry, see NGC 2863 for anything else.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2870 (= GC 1844 = JH 595 = WH III 846, 1860 RA 09 17 38, NPD 32 01.7) is "considerably faint, small, extended, very gradually a little brighter middle".
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2871 (= GC 5478, 4th Lord Rosse, 1860 RA 09 18 05, NPD 77 57.1) is "extremely faint, h 597 an arcmin to southeast", (JH) 597 being NGC 2872. The first IC adds (for 2871 and 2875) "Not seen by Spitaler; but he is wrong in assuming them = h597 and 598. They are marked ε and γ in the Birr diagram".
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2872 (= GC 1839 = GC 1845 = JH 597 = WH II 57 = WH II 546, 1860 RA 09 18 08, NPD 77 58.0) is "pretty faint, pretty small, round, brighter middle". A note at the end of the NGC says (for NGC 2872 and 2874) "(W)H gives the following places for II 57 and II 58: RA 09 17 08, NPD 77 46.0 and RA 09 17 11, NPD 77 46.3, two objects 1 arcmin distance, northwest and southeast, western one pretty small, eastern one pretty large. They were searched for in vain by Schultz and are not mentioned by d'Arrest, who observed (J)h 597 - 598. They are doubtless identical with the latter, as (W)H's description and relative position agrees with those of (J)h 597-98". Dreyer's position precesses to RA 09 25 43.0, Dec +11 25 55, right on the galaxy listed above, and the position relative to NGC 2874 fits the description in the NGC notes, so the identification is certain.
Physical Information: Used by the Arp Atlas with NGC 2874 as as an unclassified example of a galaxy pair.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2873 (= GC 1846, 3rd Lord Rosse, 1860 RA 09 18 13, NPD 77 56.5) is "very faint, very small, round, north of extended nebula".
Discovery Notes: Although Dreyer credits the discovery to William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, he notes that many of Rosse's nebular discoveries were actually made by one of his assistants, in this case R. J. Mitchell.
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2874 (= GC 1840 = GC 1847 = JH 598 = WH II 58 = WH II 547, 1860 RA 09 18 13, NPD 77 58.5) is "very faint, pretty large, much extended". A note at the end of the NGC says (for NGC 2872 and 2874) "(W)H gives the following places for II 57 and II 58: RA 09 17 08, NPD 77 46.0 and RA 09 17 11, NPD 77 46.3, two objects 1 arcmin distance, northwest and southeast, western one pretty small, eastern one pretty large. They were searched for in vain by Schultz and are not mentioned by d'Arrest, who observed (J)h 597 - 598. They are doubtless identical with the latter, as (W)H's description and relative position agrees with those of (J)h 597-98". Dreyer's position precesses to RA 09 25 48.0, Dec +11 25 25, right on the galaxy listed above, and the position relative to NGC 2872 fits the description in the NGC notes, so the identification is certain.
Physical Information: Used by the Arp Atlas with NGC 2872 as an unclassified example of a galaxy pair.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2875 (= GC 5479, 4th Lord Rosse, 1860 RA 09 18 15, NPD 77 58.1) is "extremely faint, northeast of h 598", (JH) 598 being NGC 2874. The first IC adds (for 2871 and 2875) "Not seen by Spitaler; but he is wrong in assuming them = h597 and 598. They are marked ε and γ in the Birr diagram".
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2876 (Stephan list IX (actually list X #20), 1860 RA 09 18 17, NPD 96 07.0) is "faint, small, several very faint stars involved". The second IC adds the correction (noted in parentheses) "For 'St IX' read 'St X' ", and "Query = IC 2471, Bigourdan 398"
Physical Information: Apparently binuclear, and probably a pair of colliding galaxies. Also, probably a physical companion of PGC 26718. Vr 6110 km/sec.

Physical Information: Vr 6125 km/sec, nearly the same as for NGC 2876, so probably a physical companion of the colliding pair.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2877 (= GC 5480, Marth #164, 1860 RA 09 18 31, NPD 87 10) is "very faint, small, very little extended".
Physical Information: Vr 7310 km/sec, z 0.024382. Suggested as a companion of PGC 1220557, but that is more than twice as distant, so they are merely an optical double.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2878 (= GC 5481, Marth #165, 1860 RA 09 18 33, NPD 87 18) is "very faint, small, very little extended".
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2879 (= GC 5482, d'Arrest, 1860 RA 09 18 34, NPD 101 02.9) is "very faint, very small, round, a little brighter middle".
Physical Information: The central and northwestern stars are magnitude 14.2, the northeastern star is magnitude 15.8, and the southern star is magnitude 16.6.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2880 (= GC 1848 = JH 596 = WH I 260, 1860 RA 09 18 35, NPD 26 54.3) is "bright, considerably small, round, much brighter middle, among stars".
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2881 (Swift list III (#44), 1860 RA 09 19 04, NPD 101 24.2) is "extremely faint, pretty small, 2 stars 4 arcmin following (to the east)". The second IC notes (per Howe) "The 2 stars are southeast, 9.5 and 10.5 magnitude".
Physical Information: Used by the Arp Atlas as an example of interacting galaxies.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2882 (= GC 5483, Marth #166, 1860 RA 09 19 08, NPD 81 26) is "faint, pretty large, extended".
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2883 (= GC 1849 = JH 3164, 1860 RA 09 19 30, NPD 123 29.6) is "very faint, small, very gradually a little brighter middle, well resolved, clearly consisting of stars, stars of 15th magnitude".
Discovery Note: The galaxy is very faint, and involved with numerous stars; and given Herschel's description, he may not have seen the galaxy, but the apparent cluster of stars, instead. In which case, NGC 2883 would be the stars, and not the galaxy; and the galaxy would merely be a background object.
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2884 (= GC 5484, d'Arrest, 1860 RA 09 19 37, NPD 100 57.0) is "faint, small, mottled but not resolved?".
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2885 (= GC 1850 = JH 599, 1860 RA 09 19 42, NPD 66 23.0) is "extremely faint, very small, extended 90°".
Physical Information: Vr 7890 km/sec, z 0.026315; probably a companion of PGC 26820. IC 2474 and PGC 26816, though possible companions of each other, are almost certainly background objects.

Physical Information: Certainly a physical companion of NGC 2885, and probably the reason for that galaxy's peculiar appearance. (Vr 7880, z 0.026286)

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2886 (= GC 1851 = JH 3165, 1860 RA 09 20 08, NPD 111 08.6) is "most extremely faint, pretty large".
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2887 (= GC 1852 = JH 3168, 1860 RA 09 20 11, NPD 153 12.5) is "faint, small, round, pretty much brighter middle, bright star near".
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2888 (= GC 1853 = JH 3166, 1860 RA 09 20 13, NPD 117 25.4) is "considerably faint, small, round, gradually much brighter middle".
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2889 (= GC 1854 = JH 600 = WH II 555, 1860 RA 09 20 25, NPD 101 02.3) is "pretty faint, pretty small, very little extended, very gradually a little brighter middle, mottled but not resolved".
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2890 (Leavenworth list I (#154), 1860 RA 09 20 35, NPD 103 55.3) is "extremely faint, small, round, brighter middle and nucleus". The second IC lists a corrected RA (per Howe) of 09 19 50.
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2891 (= GC 1855 = JH 3167, 1860 RA 09 20 41, NPD 114 11.7) is "faint, small, round, brighter middle".
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2892 (Swift list I (#8), 1860 RA 09 21 11, NPD 21 45.8) is "pretty faint, pretty small, round, a little brighter middle".
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2893 (= GC 1856 = JH 602 = WH III 297, 1860 RA 09 22 00, NPD 59 50.0) is "very faint, small, round, very suddenly brighter middle equal to 12th magnitude star".
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2894 (= GC 1857 = JH 603 = WH III 8, 1860 RA 09 22 02, NPD 81 39.7) is "very faint, extended, extremely mottled but not resolved, 2 or 3 stars involved".
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2895 (= GC 1858 = JH 601, 1860 RA 09 22 12, NPD 31 54.4) is "very faint, very small, round, very gradually brighter middle, double star 7 arcmin to south".
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2896 (= GC 5485, d'Arrest, 1860 RA 09 22 14, NPD 65 43.6) is "faint, very small, round, 17th magnitude star attached".
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2897 (= GC 5486, Marth #167, 1860 RA 09 22 29, NPD 87 12) is "extremely faint, small".
Physical Information: Vr 7028, z 0.023443. An apparent companion of PGC 135724, but given a difference of nearly 600 km/sec in their recessional velocities, probably just an optical double. Still, the odd appearance of the companion might indicate some past interaction between them.

Vr 6440 km/sec

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2898 (= GC 5487, Marth #168, 1860 RA 09 22 37, NPD 87 20) is "very faint, very small, a little extended".
Physical Information:

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 2899 (= GC 1859 = JH 3169, 1860 RA 09 22 42, NPD 145 30.3) is "faint, pretty large, round, gradually much brighter middle, among 80 stars".
PGC Designation Note: For purposes of completeness LEDA has assigned a PGC designation to this object, despite its not being a galaxy; but a search of the database for that designation returns no result, so it is shown in quotes.
Physical Information: