114 CARNEGIE INSTITUTION 



was in the nature of an expedition, though it was supported by and" 

 became the national observatory of the Argentine Republic. There 

 is now very pressing necessitj'' for such expeditions, as I shall en- 

 deavor to show further on. 



The foregoing considerations seem to lead to the following sug- 

 gestions to be commended to the consideration of the trustees as 

 suitable to the present situation so far as it relates to the support of 

 astronomy : 



First. Assistance should be extended to institutions which already 

 have in hand important researches in astronomy — institutions which 

 have already demonstrated their usefulness and which have sufficient 

 vitality for a good foundation, but not sufficient income to carry out 

 their existing plans in a desirable way. 



Second. To assist investigators of acknowledged ability, wherever 

 found, to initiate or carry out works of high importance to the 

 progress of astronom}^ ; and in doing this to aim at giving the in- 

 vestigator a free hand. 



Third. To take into consideration the establishment of an astro- 

 nomical station in the southern hemisphere for the use of expedi- 

 tionary forces to be sent out from the United States for the purpose 

 of reducing the great disparity which now exists between observa- 

 tion upon objects in the southern sky, as compared with those in 

 the northern. 



As to the investigations in astronomy which are pressing for atten- 

 tion, they will be found to be exceedingly numerous. A few of 

 these I shall attempt to suggest in the sketch which follows, leav- 

 ing the fields of gravitational astronomy and astrophysics to be 

 covered by other members of the Committee. 



Planetary Observation. 



The observation for position of the major planets, Sun, and Moon 

 has always been the peculiar care of the Royal Observatory at 

 Greenwich. Such observations have also been made at Paris, Wash- 

 ington, the Cape of Good Hope, and at other national observatories. 

 It is as necessary as ever that these observations should be contin- 

 ued ; and the national observatories can be depended upon to meet 

 the demands of science in this respect. As to the observation of 

 minor planets and comets, there is a lack of organized effort. Sev- 

 eral observatories in Germany, France, and Italy devote a large 

 share of their attention to these objects. At the Lick Observatory 



