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



minutely into a discussion of these experiments, there is one 

 point in their conduct which I cannot pass over in silence. 

 Tiie experiments had been carried on for eighteen months, a 

 vast number of preliminary trials had been made, and upwards 

 of 1000 registered results obtained, when it became apparent 

 that the coincidence of Cavendish's results, one with another, 

 was rather to be attributed to the paucity of his trials than to 

 any especial accuracy in his observations or felicity in his mode 

 of operating. Even in the few experiments made by Caven- 

 dish, discordances had shown themselves, of which no account 

 could be given other than by reference to the movements of 

 included air ; but, on Mr. Daily's extensive scale of operation, 

 the limits of disagreement obviously arising from this cause 

 became so enormous as to lender it hardly possible to draw 

 any line for the reception and rejection of results. In fact, at 

 one period he had almost begun to despair of bringing the 

 matter to any positive conclusion. The happy suggestion of 

 Mr. Forbes, to gild the torsion-box and leaden balls, at once 

 dispelled all this vagueness and uncertainty, and reduced the 

 results to a high degree of uniformity*. Most experimenters 

 would have been content to reject the discordant results. Mr. 

 Baily unhesitatingly sacrificed the whole and began anew, 

 without appearing to regard with an instant's regret the time 

 and labour lost. The gold medal of this Society was awarded 

 to him for this important memoir. 



Revision of Catalogues of the Stars. — The contributions of 

 Mr. Baily to this branch of sidereal astronomy are so nume- 

 rous and so important, as alone would suffice to rank liim 

 among the greatest benefactors to the science, since, without 

 being himself an observer, he has conferred, by his indefati- 

 gable industry and perseverance in collating authorities, res- 

 cuing original observations from oblivion, and rectifying 

 printed errors, a vast and unhoped-for accession of value to 

 the works of all those on whom he has commented. In fact, 

 this, which may be termed the archaeology of practical astro- 

 nomy, formed his staple and standing work, which, though 

 from time to time interrupted by other subjects, was always 

 resumed; always with increasing interest, and always on a 

 larger and more effective scale, up to the very year of his 

 death. His object appears to have been, so far as is now 

 practicable, to destroy the gap which separates us from the 

 elder astronomers, and to multiply, or at least to preserve from 



* This was not, however, the onli/ precaution used. Mr. Baily carried 

 out the suggestion, by swathing the torsion-box in flannel, and applying 

 over this defence an exterior gilded case. Should the experiment ever 

 again be repeated, it should be attempted in vacuo. 



