68 CORRESPONDENCE ON ASTRONOMICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS. 



the telegrams. 1 would, however, like to have Dr. Peters, of Clinton, 

 and the astronomers of the observatory here concur in the change ; but 

 when you visit Washington all this can be arranged. 



Very truly, yours, Spencer F. Baird. 



Letter from the Smithsonian Institution, November 11, 1880, to Prof. C. 

 H. F. Peters, Hamilton College, Clinton, N. Y. 



Dear Sir : I inclose herewith a proposition for the modification of 

 the present plan of the exchange of telegraphic announcements between 

 the United States and Europe. Will you kindly give me your views at 

 the earliest possible moment f We have in type a new circular on this 

 subject, and of course wish to correct it, should it be desirable. 



The proposition submitted, which Dr. Gould has just sent us, is the 

 result of a conference with the leading astronomers of Europe. 



Truly yours, Spencer F. Baird. 



Letter from the Smithsonian Institution, November 24, 1880, to Prof. C. 

 H. F. Peters, Hamilton College, Clinton, N. Y., icith inclosure. 



Dear Professor Peters : Will you kindly send me at your early 

 convenience that promised criticism and memorandum in regard to the 

 accompanying proof of the circular, and all the suggestions of change 

 brought up by Professor Gould ? I wish to close this business as soon 

 as possible, with your kind assistance. 



Yours, truly, Spencer F. Baird. 



Letter from the Litchfield Observatory of Hamilton College, Clinton, N. Y.y 

 November 25, 1880, to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. 



Dear Sir: I hasten to answer yours of 11th instant in regard to 

 the telegraphic exchange system of astronomical discoveries. I found 

 it here after my return from Kew York (delayed by a few days' visit 

 at West Point), and, in order to be brief, I can touch only ui)on the more 

 essential points. 



Of the three points made in the letter (written by Dr. B. A. Gould) 

 of which you send me a copy, the first gives, as the reason, economy in 

 the number of trans-atlantic dispatches. I must wonder, after I had 

 explained twice before during the last year to the astronomers at Berlin 

 that as far as I know only one message passes the Atlantic and is dis- 

 tributed then in Europe to the five central stations, that, without evi- 

 dence to the contrary, this again is used as an argument for having the 

 dispatches from the Smithsonian Institution sent to only one European 

 central station, and this to be (as if of course) in Germany. When 

 Dr. Gould's letter asserts that " the European astronomers are all of 

 accord" he says too much for, from a letter of Professor Foerster on the 

 subject (found here likewise at my return) it appears that Vienna does 

 not consent; that Pulkowa seems to have been not even asked, and it is 



