382 Astronomical Society. 



his directions, during his residence as governor of that colony. The 

 other to Mr. James Dunlop, for his disinterested and indefatigable 

 pursuit of astronomical researches, subsequent to the departure of 

 Sir T. M. Brisbane from the colony of New South Wales, whereby 

 he has added, in a most material degree, to our knowledge of the 

 nebula? of the southern hemisphere. 



These medals will be delivered to these gentlemen respectivelv, 

 or to their proxies, by the President, before the Society proceed to 

 the business of election of the officers for the ensuing year. 



The Council cannot conclude this Report, without an earnest ex- 

 hortation to the members of the Society, collectively and individu- 

 ally, to cooperate by their active exertions in the great cause for 

 which the Institution exists. They entreat them to remember that 

 every one who possesses an instrument, whose claims rise even not 

 above a humble mediocrity, has it in his power to chalk out for him- 

 self a useful and honourable line of occupation for leisure hours, in 

 which his labour shall be really valuable, if duly registered : that those 

 who possess good instruments, have a field absolutely boundless for 

 their exertions. To such they would hold out the brilliant examples 

 of many other of the members and associates of this Society, — of a 

 Bessel, a Struve, — as showing what may be accomplished by perse- 

 vering industry, and how little reason there is to apprehend the fail- 

 ure of matter for their researches. They would strongly impress on 

 the minds of all observers, however, whether private or public, the 

 daily increasing necessity which exists for the reduction of their ob- 

 servations when made, and for the employment for that purpose of a 

 uniform system of corrections adopted by common consent : and 

 that, not when the work of many years shall have accumulated on 

 hand, till it shall have become overwhelming ; but regularly, year 

 by year — nay, month by month, while the immediate interest of the 

 observations retains its freshness in the memory, and while their 

 actual value can be checked, and the means of further refinement 

 suggested and attained. The extreme facility afforded for these re- 

 ductions by the Catalogue published by this Society, leaves no excuse 

 for their neglect, when stars contained in it are observed ; and it is 

 most earnestly to be hoped, that no departure in other cases, from 

 the coefficients there used, will take place. 



The Council would also strongly draw the attention of the mem- 

 bers of the Society to the high importance, both for nautical and as- 

 tronomical science, of observations of occultations, eclipses of the 

 sun, and satellites of Jupiter, moon-culminating stars, and even 

 ordinary lunar distances well and carefully observed on land, at fixed 

 stations, such as observatories, and at all remarkable points in di- 

 stant countries, where opportunities may offer. The Society will feel 

 its utility most materially increased by the communication of such 

 observations, if carefully made. No class of individuals have so fre- 

 quent and available opportunities for such observations, as naval 

 officers, nor to any is the object of such direct utility. — It is gratify- 

 ing to know, that the requisite scientific attainments for such re- 

 searches are already widely diffused among them, and daily becoming 



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