CORRESPONDENCE ON ASTRONOMICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS. 89 



branch of international exchange of discovery and research, and prob- 

 ably with better facilities than this Institution. If therefore you desire 

 to take the entire charge of this field, so far from feeling any dissatis- 

 faction, I shall very gladly resign the matter to your hands; and on re- 

 ceiving direct announcement of your wish and ability to conduct the 

 service, I shall cordially lend assistance to jour purpose by preparing 

 a circular addressed to our correspondents, giving them a formal noti- 

 fication of the transfer. 



Yours, very respectfully, 

 Spencer F. Baird. 



Letter from the Science Observer, December 28, 1882, to the Smithsonian 



Institution. 



Dear Sir: Your favor of 22d instant, with reference to the matter 

 of notification of astronomical discovery, &c., is at hand, for which, many 

 thanks. I have delayed answer a few hours that the subject might be 

 discussed with Professor Pickering, of Harvard Observatory, and his 

 opinion incorporated with mine. As to ability to conduct the "service," 

 I think nothing further need be necessary in evidence than what is shown 

 by the work of the past two years, during which we have sent such data 

 to Europe, as did not lie within the province of the Smithsonian, and 

 which was somewhat more complicated, including as it did the collec- 

 tion of observations in this country, the performance of the necessary 

 computations, and the forwarding of the results. 



Since the whole matter of collection and reduction of data will be 

 best accomplished at the Observatory, where, as well night or day, 

 there are always present persons prepared for action without delay, 

 and no loss of time will ensue should Mr. Chandler, Professor Picker- 

 ing, or myself be absent, it seems advisable to have all telegrams sent 

 to the Observatory (as are all messages from Europe under the exist- 

 ing arrangements). Further than this, an impersonal address can best 

 be remembered, and is not liable to change through death of any par- 

 ticular individual, it seems best to have the address sitnply : 



" Harvard College Observatory, Cambridge, Mass." 



All necessary arrangements are now in force, and whenever it seems 

 to you advisable to make the transfer it may be done. It will, how- 

 ever, be necessary to receive from the Smithsonian Institution a list of 

 those to whom messages of announcement are now being sent. Fur- 

 ther than this there seems to be nothing necessary, save the circular 

 to which you refer. 



With many thanks for your interest in the matter, 



I am, sincerely, yours, 

 J. Ritchie, Jr. 



Letter from the Smithsonian Institution, January 3, 1883, to Prof. E. C. 

 Pickering, of Harvard College Observatory. 

 Dear Sir : From correspondence with Mr. J. Ritchie, jr., of the " Sci- 

 ence Observer," relative to the transfer of telegraphic announcements 



