History of Astronomy for the Year 1*803. 19 



demy for succeeding the abbe De la Caille A and they were 

 both nominated. ^ 



The volumes of this society for twenty-five years contain 

 memoirs, observations, and calculations by him. In 1 766 

 he gave new tables of Jupiter, which appeared with the 

 theory formed by Bailly for the satellites and the diplauti.- 

 dian telescope, which he constructed with Navarre, an in- 

 genious optician. After the year 1763 he obtained a wooden 

 observatory at the military school, together with some in- 

 struments ; but in 176S the duke De Chatelet enabled him 

 to construct a complete and more solid observatory, which 

 in 1788 led him to the building of the present one, which 

 is one of the most useful in Europe. 



In 1775 he succeeded me in the calculation of the Con- 

 moissance des Temps, He published in succession twelve 

 volumes, each of which contains new things y tables by dif- 

 ferent astronomers, and many calculations ; a reduction of 

 the large English catalogue of stars ; calculations of the 

 inoon ; a determination of the longitude of all countries, 

 the most extensive that ever appeared ; the position of the 

 steeples of Paris, determined with the assistance of M. Prony 

 and another engineer ; tables of aberrations, and other ob- 

 jects useful to astronomy* The Institute paid him a flat- 

 tering compliment by nominating him a member on the 

 £5th of December 1796> though there were a great number 

 of well known and respectable competitors. When he was 

 iio longer able to labour on account of his age, he still 

 interested himself in favour of astronomy. He assisted 

 M. Rotrou in observing the last transit of Mercury over 

 the sun on the 9th of November 1 802, though then seventy- 

 eight years of age. 



After rendering justice to Jeanrat in regard to the con- 

 stancy of his labours, it is my duty to observe that he was 

 equally estimable by his character. He was beloved by his 

 pupils at the military school and to his associates in the 

 academy. I have seen him do a kindness with great plea- 

 sure, and even to some who had offended him. 



Father Kautsch, whose calculations of eclipses I have 

 ■quoted, died at Leutomischel, in Moravia. 



M. Witzleben T who translated into German the abridg- 

 ment of my astronomv, died on the 23d of April. 



An astronomical poet deserves to participate in our re- 

 gret : — Dominic Ricard, born at Toulouse on the 23d of 

 March 1741, died at Paris on the 28th of January 1803. He 

 is known by a translation of Plutarch, and by a long poem 

 on the sphere, which is very correct, and written in an in- 

 teresting manner. 



B 3 III. Letter 



