136 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [April 



have resulted in the foundation of a permanent Naval Observa- 

 tory." 



During the three years 1849 to 1851, Capt. Gilliss was in Chile 

 in charge of the U. S. Expedition for determining the Solar Paral- 

 lax ; and if his observations failed of all that was expected of them, 

 it was from the want of that cooperation in the northern hemis- 

 phere which was reasonably looked for by him. The National In- 

 telligencer (Washington, U. S.) of the day before his death (Feb. 

 8), contains his last astronomical communication, — one relating to 

 the planet Mars, — dated Feb. 7. 



Capt. Gilliss was an observer of great skill and accuracy, a man 

 of noble personal character, and a patriot in the highest sense of 

 the word. Three of his sons have been in the recent armies of his 

 country, and the eldest — a captain — reached home from the Libby 

 prison, after four months' imprisonment, only the day before his 

 father died. — Sillimans Journal. 



George P. Bond. — It is seldom that astronomical science has 

 received a more severe blow than that occasioned by the death of 

 George Philips Bond, of Harvard College, Philips Professor of As- 

 tronomy, and Director of the Observatory connected with that insti- 

 tution. After a lingering illness of more than a year, during which 

 his ardor in the study of the heavens led him oftentimes to expo- 

 sures entirely incompatible with the state of his health, he closed 

 a useful and an unblemished life on the 17th of February, — eight 

 days after his compeer, Captain Gilliss. 



As an accurate and truthful observer of astronomical phenomena, 

 he was, without question, unequalled by any one in this country, 

 and among the first in the world. In his short career he contri- 

 buted many valuable papers of original discoveries and calculations 

 to various periodicals and institutions in this and other countries. 

 His greatest work, and that which gave him honor the world over, 

 is his account of the Donati comet, which constitutes the third 

 volume of the Annals of the Observatory. To this, the palm of un- 

 rivalled excellence has been freely awarded by the best astronomi- 

 cal observers of Europe.* Well trained by his lamented and dis- 



* We are informed that, a month since, Mr. Bond received word from 

 President De La Rue, of the Royal Astronomical Society, that the Socie- 

 ty, at its last annual meeting in January, had voted him a gold medal 

 for his work on this comet. 



