Memoir of the late Francis Baily, Esq., F.R.S.f S^c. 67 



numerable errors of naming, numbering, and lettering, and 

 reducing, in short, to order and regularity a subject which 

 had become almost hopelessly entangled. The way is thus at 

 length opened to a more rational distribution of the heavens 

 into constellations, and that final step which must sooner or 

 later be taken, of introducing a systematic nomenclature into 

 sidereal astronomy, rendered easy, whensoever astronomers 

 shall be prepared on other grounds to take it. The trouble 

 and difficulty attending this part of the work exceed what 

 any one unused to such tasks can easily imagine. 



There are two papers by Mr. Baily relating to sidereal as- 

 tronomy, of which mention ought to be made here; viz. one 

 " On the Proper Motions of the Stars," which was read before 

 the Astronomical Society on the 9th of December, 1831, in 

 which a list of about iJOO stars, whose proper motion appears 

 sufficiently sensible to merit further inquiry, is discussed. In 

 drawing up this list, he was much aided by a series of transit 

 observations by Dr. Robinson, observed expressly with a view 

 to this inquiry. But as no positive conclusion of a general 

 nature is arrived at in this memoir, and as the subject is yet 

 hardly ripe for a complete discussion, I shall dilate no further 

 on it. The other paper to which I allude (which was read 

 also to this Society on the 14-th of November, 1834) states the 

 result of an examination of Dr. Halley's MSS. at the Royal 

 Observatory. The appointment of Astronomer Royal was 

 held by Halley twenty-two years, and though for the first two 

 of them the observatory was entirely deprived of instruments, 

 and for the next four a five-feet transit only was available, it 

 might, at least, have been expected that he should have used 

 diligently the means he did possess, or, at all events, have re- 

 corded the observations he did make in a regular, methodical, 

 and intelligible manner. From Mr. Rally's examination of 

 these papers, however, this appears to have been very far in- 

 deed from the case ; and that, with the exception of differences 

 of right ascension between the moon and planets and neigh- 

 bouring fixed stars, which alone he seems to have considered 

 worthy of attention, little of interest could be expected to repay 

 the trouble and expense of their reduction. Of these papers 

 Mr. Baily, ever anxious for the preservation of records, and 

 mindful of the tlormant value which they so often possess, ob- 

 tained from the Admiralty a transcript, which, being carefully 

 collated with, and corrected by, the original MSS., is now 

 deposited in our library. 



The mention of the Royal Observatory induces me to notice 

 here a change which has been lately made in the constitution 

 of that noble institution, by a revision of the royal warrant, 



F2 



