1 J 2 Astronomical and Nautical Collections. 



The remark, that the observations at Greenwich are commonly 

 concluded at midnight, -would be of some weight, if it could be 

 proved that any thing essential is omitted by this practice, which 

 does not appear to me to be the case. The observations relate 

 chiefly to the sun, the fundamental stars, the moon, and the oppo- 

 sitions of the planets ; and it may easily be discovered that these 

 different series are exhibited with an uncommon degree of perfec- 

 tion. Had the censor in the Philosophical Magazine pointed out 

 any other series of observations which could have been combined 

 with these, so as not to interfere with them, no doubt the Astro- 

 nomer Royal would have been much obliged to him. Every thing 

 cannot be done at once in an observatory ; and if as much is 

 effected as can be wished in one respect, something must be 

 omitted in others. But to multiply observations, without any plan 

 or object whatever, would be mere idleness. Whoever is dissatisfied 

 with the actual riches of the Greenwich observations, would do well 

 to make the attempt to excel them ; he would convince himself by 

 such an experiment that the labour and patience required for doing 

 so much, are fully sufficient to exhaust the powers of any one man. 



The third class of errors, relating to the meteorological instruments, 

 I have not yet mentioned, because I think myself that greater ac- 

 curacy is required in this department than it has hitherto been 

 usual to observe. And if I should be allowed to suggest any im- 

 provement that could be made in the observations at Greenwich, 

 it would be a more correct account of the meteorological instru- 

 ments, and of the place in which the exterior thermometer is fixed. 

 [It may, indeed, be expected with confidence that Professor Bes- 

 sel's desire to possess a barometer and a thermometer, correctly 

 compared with those which are employed at Greenwich, will not 

 long be allowed to remain ungratified, though it would be a subject 

 of much surprise on this side of the Channel, if he should detect in 

 them such discordances as he is inclined to suspect.] 



[This letter has probably appeared in Professor Schumacher's 

 Nachrichten, though the 84th number of that interesting collection^ 

 for which it was intended, has not yet reached this country.] 



