ASTRONOMY. 161 



with Balmain's lumiuoiis paint, iuserted immediately behind the meas- 

 uring pointer, has been frequently employed to give a phosphorescent 

 illumination of the field." 



Gautier's mercury-basin for nadir and reflection observations, de- 

 scribed in. last year's report, has been tried at the Melbourne Observa- 

 tory, and gives highly satisfactory results. 



We have already referred, in the report of the Licic Observatory, to 

 the completion of the 36-iuch objective and its removal to Mount 

 Hamilton. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Astronomical prizes. — At the meeting of the Paris Academy of Science 

 on December 27, 1888, the Lalande prize was awarded to Dr. Backlund 

 for his work on Eucke's comet; the Valz prize to M. G. Bigourdan for 

 investigation of personal equation in the measurement of double stars; 

 the Damoiseau prize to M. Souillart for his theoretical researches on 

 Jupiter's satellites, and an '■'■ encoaragemenP'' of 1,000 francs to .M. 

 Obrecht for his study of the application of photometry to the eclipses 

 of Jupiter's satellites. The Bordin prize was awarded to M. E. Kadau 

 for his work on the theory of astronomical refraction. 



The gold medal of the Royal Astronomical Society was awarded to 

 Mr. G. W. Hill for his researches on the motion of the moon. 



The Rumford medal of the Royal Society, the Eumford gold and silver 

 medals of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Draper 

 medal of the National Academy were awarded to Prof. S. P. Laugley 

 for his researches with the bolometer. 



The Watson medal of the National Academy, with an honorarium of 

 $1(;0, was awarded to Dr. B. A. Gould. 



The Royal Society of Edinburgh awarded the Makdougall-Brisbane 

 prize to Dr. Edward Sang for his communication on the need for decimal 

 subdivisions in astronomy and navigation. 



The Warner prizes, $100 for each comet discovered (and announced 

 under certain conditions), were conferred, in 1886, as follows: Mr. 

 Brooks, $300; Mr. Finlay, $100; Mr. Barnard, $100. 



The American Astronomical Society of BrooMyn. — Among the papers 

 read in 1886 were: "The Earth's Temperatnre," by H. M. Parkhurst; 

 "Faye's Nebular Speculations," by G. P. Serviss; "Origin of Meteor- 

 ites," by G. W. Coakley and H. M. Parkhurst. The president of the 

 society is Mr. S. V. White, the secretary, Mr. G. P. Serviss, Brooklyn, 

 New York. 



Baltimore Amateur Astronomical Society. — A number of gentlemen 

 of Baltimore have organized an amateur astronomical society, meet- 

 ing each month for the presentation of papers and discussion of obser- 

 vations. Dr. Hooper, 1425 Linden avenue, the secretary, has a 5-iuch 

 Clark equatorial; Mr. Gildersleeve a 6-inch equatorial with object- 

 glass by Dr. C. S. Hastings ; Mr. Stahn a 4inch ghiss, also by Dr. 

 H. Mis. 600 11 



