8o M. Ton DIN I on the 



what he calls " this last desirable simplification of our way 

 of measuring time" as a "compensation (Gegengabe)," offered 

 to the members of the Greek Church for their giving up 

 their special calendar, and thus entering into a complete 

 agreement with the civilised world in their way of dating 

 time* Alluding, moreover, to the many projects for a 

 more perfect way of intercalation, Prof Forster makes the 

 following truly scientific remark : — " The agreement of the 

 Gregorian year with the course of the sun is now sufficient, 

 and secured for a length of time beyond which our present 

 knowledge of the constant alterations in the duration of 

 the solar year is not able to reach." In other words : it 

 would be unscientific, as well as unwise, to make provisions 

 to secure the above agreement for a time before the coming 

 of which we may be obliged to alter our intercalary arrange- 

 ment again. 



It is indeed satisfactory to have to announce such a 

 perfect agreement between the representatives of science in 

 different countriesf , and to make it, as it were, even more 

 satisfactory, owing to the special importance of the question. 

 Prof Forster, speaking in another pamphlet, of the " uni- 

 versal day," besides assuming as needing no proof, that it 

 will be dated according to the Gregorian Calendar, remarks, 

 by the way, that " Russia will thus gain the advantage of 

 having her Julian date absorbed {absorbirf) by the Gregorian 

 one."+ 



V. 



That Russia had a prominent part in stirring up the 



* FoRsrER (Wilh.), Ziir Beurtlieilung einiger Zeitfras;en, inshesondere 

 gegen die Einfilhrung emer detitschen Norinalzeit. Inserted in the Deutsche 

 Revue of 1881, Berlin. I. Band, p. 365, 



t See also : Bulletin of the Philosophical Society of IVashington ; Meeting 

 of January 30, 1875, Vol. II., pp. 29, 30. Boletin de la Sociedad de geografia 

 estadistica de la Repuhlica Mexicava. Teriera epocha, Febrero 28, 1873. T.I. 

 p. 143, etc., etc. 



X Forster (Wilh.). Ort'cit und IVeltzeit, Berlin, 1884, p. 20. 



