ASTRONOMY. 103 



his researches iu spectiiiiii analysis. The Daiiioiseau prize was uot 

 awarded. 



The gohl ine(hil of the Koyal Astroiioiuical Society was awarded ou 

 February 10, 1888, to Dr. Auwers, for liis rered action of Bradley's ob- 

 servations. The Draper medal of the National Academy of Sciences 

 was awarded in April to Professor Piekeriuj;, and the Lawrence Smith 

 medal, to Professor Newton for his original work on the subject of me- 

 teorites. 



Prizes amounting: in value to about $i,()()() were distributed at the 

 December, 1887, meetiuf,' of the French Astronomical Society for the 

 best schemes submitted for reforming the calendar. The chief prize 

 was secured by M. Gaston Armelin, of Paris. 



Telegraphic traiismisdon of astronomical data. — Early in 1888 a new 

 code book, ''The Science Observer Code," for the convenient and accu- 

 rate transmission of astronomical data I)}' telegraph, was j)ublished by 

 Messrs. Chandler and Ritchie as "Occasional Publications No. 1" of the 

 Boston Scientific Society. The new code book supersedes the dictionary 

 formerly in use, and as the woi'ds are conveniently numbered it is used 

 with great facility. The number code of 200 quarto pages is followed by 

 a phrase code with numerous examples, covering 17 pages, and by tables 

 for reducing decimals of a day to hours, minutes, and seconds, and rice 

 versa. 



Tilt' number words have been selected from the dictionaries of sev- 

 eral languages, it being the intention that the literal arrangement of 

 any word should differ from that of every other by at least two letters; 

 all words of more than ten letters are exclu<led. The words are ar- 

 ranged in 400 sections, numbered from to 309, each section compris- 

 ing 100 words, numbered from to 09; any integral number up to 

 39,999 can therefore be represented by a single letter. The phrase 

 code is arranged for the transmission of intormation in regard to 

 comets, planets, variable stars, the state of the weather, and for ref- 

 erence, also, to stars in tiie Durchmusterung and Gould's zone cata- 

 logue. Checks are provided for correcting errors which have been 

 introduced in the transmission. Alter the lapse of sutlic.eut time for 

 all astronomers so desiring to provide thems(^lves with a copy of the 

 code, it finally went into effect on October 1, 1888. The observatory of 

 Harvard College is the central station for the distribution of astro- 

 nomical information in this country, and Dr. Krueger, at Kiel, serves in 

 a like capacity for Europe. 



A ])aper in No. 2791 of the Astronomische Nachrichten, on the meteor- 

 ological conditions favorable for establishing a, large telescoi)e, should 

 command the attention of an}' one uj)on whom may rest the responsi- 

 bility of locating a new observatory. It is manifestly important that a 

 careful examination of the meteorological conditions of any proposed 

 site for a large telescope should be made, particularly with reference to 

 11, Mis, 142- — 13 



