386 British Association* • 



cipal heavenly bodies of our own system, and of the brighter or 

 fundamental fixed stars which are about 100 in number. But in 

 early stages of Astronomy, we were necessarily indebted to pub- 

 lic Observatories for all the data of the science. On the other 

 hand, their voluntary rivals occupy that portion of the great as- 

 tronomical field which is untilled by the professional observer, rov- 

 ing over it according to their own free will and pleasure, and 

 cultivating with industrious hand such plants as the more con- 

 tinuous and severe labours of the public astronomer leave no time 

 or opportunity to bring to maturity. 



The observations of our private observers have been chiefly de- 

 voted to seven important objects : — 



First. The observing and mapping of the smaller stars, under 

 which term I include all those which do not form the pecuhar 

 province of the public observer. 



Secondly. The observations of the positions and distances of 

 double stars. 



Thirdly. Observations delineations, and Catalogues of the 

 Nebulae. 



Fourthly. Observations of the minor planets. 



Fifthly. Cometary observations. 



Sixthly. Observations of the solar spots and other phenomena on 

 the Sun's disc. 



Seventhly. Occultations of stars by the Moon, eclipses of the 

 heavenly bodies and other occasional extra-meridional observa- 

 tions. 



And first as to cataloguing and mapping the smaller stars. 

 This means, as you know, the accurate determination by astron- 

 omical observation of the places of those objects, as referred to 

 certain assumed fixed points in the heavens. The first Star Cat- 

 alogue worthy to be so called, is that which goes by the name of 

 Flamsteed's or the British Catalogue. It contains above 3,000 

 stars, and is the produce of the labours of the first Astronomer 

 Royal of Greenwich, — labours prosecuted under circumstances of 

 great difficulty, and the results of which were not given to the 

 world in a complete form till many years had elapsed from the 

 time the observations were made which was during the latter 

 half of the seventeenth century. About the middle of the eight- 

 teenth century, the celebrated Dr Bradly, who also filled the post of 

 Astronomer Royal, observed an almost equally extensive catalogue 

 of Stars,and the begining of the nineteenth century gave birth to that 



