OX THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE. f> 



has a distinguishing; number. The cost, in consideration of the 

 quantity ordered from the makers at one time, including 1 the case, is 

 5s. 6d. ; and without the case, 45. 6d. for each thermometer. At the 

 suggestion of Sir John Herschel, they have also undertaken, by the 

 photographic process, to secure a daily record of the appearance of 

 the sun's disk, with a view of ascertaining, by a comparison of the 

 spots upon its surface, their places, size, and forms, whether any rela- 

 tion can be established between their variations and other phenomena. 

 The Council of the Royal Society has supplied the funds, and the 

 instrument is in course of completion. The same beautiful invention, 

 which seems likely to promote the interests of science in many 

 branches at least as much as those of art, is employed, under the able 

 direction of the committee, and of Mr. Welsh, the curator, to record, 

 by a self-acting process, something similar to that of the anemometer, 

 the variations in the earth's magnetism. 



From the address of the President we make the following extracts, 

 as illustrative of the progress of science during the past year. In 

 respect to the progress of astronomical science, the large number of 

 planets and comets discovered of late years, while it evinces the dili- 

 gence of astronomers, has, at the same time, brought additional 

 laborers into the field of astronomical science, and contributed mate- 

 rially to its extension. The demand for observations created by these 

 discoveries has been met by renewed activity in existing observa- 

 tories, and has led to the establishment, by public or private means, of 

 new observatories. For instance, an observatory was founded in the 

 course of last year by a private individual at Olmiitz, in Moravia, and 

 is now actively at work on this class of observations. Various such 

 instances have occurred within a few years. 



" In addition to the advantages just stated, the observations called 

 for by the discovery of new bodies of the Solar System have drawn 

 attention to the state of Stellar Astronomy, and been the means of 

 improving this fundamental part of the science. The following are 

 a few words on the existing state of Stellar Astronomy, so far as 

 regards catalogues of stars. Subsequently to the formation of the 

 older catalogues of bright stars, astronomers turned their attention 

 to observations in zones, or otherwise, of smaller stars, to the ninth 

 magnitude inclusive. Lalande, Lacaille, Bessel, Argelander, and 

 Lamont, are the chief laborers in this class of observations. But 

 these observations, unreduced and uncatalogued, are comparatively of 

 little value. The British Association did great service to astronomers 

 by reducing into catalogues the observations of Lalande and Lacaille. 

 A catalogue of part of Bessel's zones has been published at St. 

 Petersburg, and a catalogue of part of Argelander's zones at Vienna. 



