DEPARTMENT OF" MERIDIAN ASTROMETRY. 155 



vations containing a large number of stars ; and there is every prospect that 

 such rank will be reached. If this opinion should be verified it will become 

 a remarkable tribute to the skill and to the intensity of application of the 

 observers who have made a record of such unprecedented proportions as to 

 the rate of observations. This rate is somewhat greater than 4,800 per month 

 for 16 months — twice the highest previous rate known to the Director in this 

 class of observations and about five times the ordinary rate. On the other 

 hand, there were always seven observers, and for a short time there were 

 ten. Moreover, the annual number of clear nights was 280, and a large pro- 

 portion of these were clear from sunset to sunrise. 



Furthermore, practically the entire energy was devoted to observations 

 alone and to such preliminary operations as were necessary to furnish the 

 record that should be the basis of the general reduction. Naturally this work 

 has proved very exhausting and the strain has been decidedly felt by at least 

 one-half of the observers. At the outset of the work the Director hazarded 

 the proposition that it might be possible to secure 30,000 observations in each 

 of the second and third years. That this rate should have been doubled was 

 due to a unanimous and irresistible determination on the part of the observ- 

 ers themselves to shorten the period of observations. 



It is believed that it will be possible to complete the entire work and to 

 take down the meridian-circle some time in the early part of 191 1. At the 

 present writing less than 5,000 observations in the regular program remain to 

 be made. There is still a small program of observations required to complete 

 the investigation of certain constants of importance in the systematic sense. 



Arrangements are not now fully made for attending to the photometry of 

 the fainter stars of the observing list. This was a part of the original de- 

 sign, but in the rush of meridian observations there never seemed to be a 

 time when it could be advantageously started. The prosecution of that work, 

 however, would require only two observers, and it could probably be com- 

 pleted within one year. 



THE STAFF. 



At the present writing (aside from the Director) the staff consists of 15 

 persons regularly employed. There is one group consisting of 8 persons at 

 Albany, and another of 7 at San Luis. Besides these, there is a varying 

 number of computers (at present 9) working upon apparent-place computa- 

 tions on the piece-work plan. 



