76 M. Ton DIN I on the 



together with the General's Reply, in their Comptcs- 

 rendiis* went so far as to call by a special circular letter, 

 dated June 2nd, 1888, the attention of all other geographical 

 societies to the above communications, expressing the wish 

 that they would support the unification of the calendar, " as 

 a useful simplification, a real advance, both from a practical 

 and a scientific point of view, and a step towards the 

 desired general adoption of one initial meridian and the 

 same unit of time." As far back as the beginning of April, 

 1888, this same Society, by a special letter, congratulated 

 the Bologna Academy of Sciences, on their intention to 

 profit by the festival of the eighth centenary of the Bologna 

 University, to give a strong impulse to the unification of 

 time and promised them : " tout le concours des moyens 

 dont elle dispose." 



An analogous step was taken by the Royal Academy 

 •of Belgium, as may be seen in the report of M. Folic, the 

 Director of the Brussels Observatory, headed : " On the 

 unification of the Calendar, proposed by the Royal Academy 

 of Sciences of the Institute of Bologna," inserted in the 

 Belgian Academy's Bulletin. Speaking of Russia, "There 

 "is a nation," says the Belgian Astronomer Royal, "whose 

 " assent in the matter would constitute the most valuable 

 " scientific gift made, in our century, to science."-|' 



Coming back to the Bologna Academy of Science, as 

 early as February 19, 1888, a special committee was ap- 

 pointed to consider how the approaching festival of the 

 University jubilee might be turned to the advantage of 

 science. Professor Santagata's report was, on April 15th, 

 unanimously approved, and a special memorandum bearing 

 the title "Unification du Calendrier," was consequently 



* Compies-rendits des Stances de laSocictidc G&ographie, 1888, pp. 218 and 

 307. 



\ Bidklin de PAcadi/nie royale de Belgiqite, 3me serie, T. XVI. No. 7, 

 1888. 



