\ 



ASTRONOMY. 375 



and special reasons, it would seem unwise to choose another system for 

 such observations. This system will also be adopted as fundamental 

 by most of the observatories of Europe and by many elsewhere, and the 

 perpetual revision of the system is provided for by the observatories at 

 Bonn, Pulkova, and Strassburg, and by the discussion which these ob- 

 servations and others will receive at the hands of a committee of the 

 Astron. Gesellsckaft. For special purposes a selection may be made 

 from the larger list. Professor Hall has suggested that this selection 

 be made by authority, and separately printed. — {Science, November 2, 

 1882.) 



Xew reduction of Lacaille's observations. — A paper by Dr. Powalky is 

 printed as Appendix 21 to the Eeport of the United States Coast and 

 Geodetic Survey for 1882 (printed 1883), " on a new reduction of La- 

 caille's observations made at the Cape of Good Hope and at Paris be- 

 tween 1749 and 1756, and given in his Astronomice Fundamenta, together 

 with a comparison of the results with the Bradley-Bessel Fundamenta; 

 and also a catalogue of the places of 150 stars south of declination 

 —30° for the epochs 1750 and 1830." 



The principal result of Dr. Powalky 's careful reduction is the cata- 

 logue of 150 stars south of —30°, which were repeatedly observed with 

 the six-foot sector and the sextant. 



It appears that Lacaille's declinations are about of the same precision 

 as Bradley's ; the right ascensions are somewhat less precise. This 

 catalogue of Dr. Powalky's must serve as a basis for researches on 

 proper motions of southern stars, and a simple reduction of Stone 1880 

 to 1830, would determine quite a number with much accuracy. 



STAR CATALOGUES. 

 1 



The Glasgow Catalogue. — Professor Grant, of Glasgow, speaks of the 

 Glasgow Star Catalogue as if it were soon to be printed. It contains 

 0,415 stars, of which some 5,000 were selected from Wcisse's Bessel I. 

 It appears that it must cover part of the field of Schjellerup's 10,000 

 stars. In the course of his reductions Professor Grant has discovered 

 43 stars with proper motions. A list of these is given in Mon. Not. B. 

 A. &, January, 1883. Seven of these are noted in Bonn Observations, 

 vol. vii. None of the others seem to be noted in Schjellerup, of whose 

 work Professor Grant, apparently, has made no use in the paper cited. 



The Paris General Catalogue of Stars. — In the last annual report issued 

 by Admiral Mouchez we find particulars of the progress of formation of 

 this extensive and important catalogue. It is intended to contain all 

 the stars observed at Paris during the forty-five years, 1837 to 1881 inclu- 

 sive, about 40,000, but it is mainly the result of the revision of Lalaude's 

 stars in the Ristoire Celeste; indeed, for several years past, the merid- 

 ian instruments have been almost wholly occupied upon this work, and 

 upwards of 27,000 observations were made during 1882, the year to 



