86 CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON. 



(2) The main section of the work has been in continuation of 

 that carried on in several previous years. This is the determination 

 of star positions and motions from a homogeneous treatment of all 

 material of observation readily available. This includes in the first 

 line the standard stars which are the natural basis of the investiga- 

 tion. The results for 627 of the principal standard stars have already 

 been published. A small volume containing these results, with an 

 account of the investigation upon the systematic corrections in right 

 ascension and declination for all the catalogues of observation, has 

 been printed and will shortly be distributed. 



During the year of this report the work on the standard stars has 

 been extended. The positions and motions of a total of about 1,500 

 stars which may be reckoned in this class are now computed and are 

 ready to be incorporated in a general catalogue. About two years 

 ago the idea was entertained of forming a general catalogue of the 

 brighter stars, together with other stars for which exceptionally 

 accurate positions and motions could be computed. 



Much work to this end had already been accomplished at that 

 time. Later on this idea developed into the plan of including all 

 stars down to the sixth magnitude, with the fainter stars already 

 mentioned. Thus the work of preparation is going on for a general 

 catalogue of all those stars. The positions and motions are com- 

 puted with the same care as that which has been the rule for stand- 

 ard stars. Work on this line has been pushed with vigor during the 

 past year. Special attention has been given to the revision of the 

 systematic corrections employed as new material accumulates from 

 time to time. The computations for a total of about 2,700 stars have 

 been nearly completed, and work upon the remaining 2,300 is pro- 

 ceeding. It is hoped that the entire work will be ready for printing 

 during 1905, and it is supposed that this general catalogue will 

 include about 5,000 stars. Nothing of the kind has appeared since 

 the publication in 1845 of the catalogue of the British Association. 

 It is therefore believed that this catalogue will be found generally 

 useful, apart from its primary design of furnishing a large number 

 of systematically accurate observed motions of stars. 



W. W. Campbell, Lick Observatory, Mount Hamilton, Cal. 

 Grant No. 53. For pay of assistants in researches at Lick Observ- 

 atory. (First report is in Year Book No. 2, p. xix.) $4,000, 



Abstract of Report. — The expenditure of funds under this grant 

 was made only as suitable assistants were procurable, and after 

 living quarters on the mountain were constructed for their accom- 



