LXX EOYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



tation of the society to assist in settling, if possible, some vexed questions 

 respecting the cause of these and of some other phenomena, which, by 

 some investigators, have been referred to a common origin. Mr. Stupart 

 stated that he had tabulated and charted these reports for the purposes 

 of comparison with the magnetic disturbances as recorded at the Toronto 

 observator}' ; that he had found the subject a most interesting one, and 

 that ho hoped, at an early day, to be able to make some announcement 

 as the result of his discussions of the data which were on hand and which 

 he was carefully collecting. 



In the Transactions of the society may l)e found a reference to the 

 work of the joint committee on the unification of time, a subject which 

 has been receiving attention for some years. The replies to its despatches 

 on this question received by the British Government, show that there is 

 practically but one dissenting voice of commanding influence in the 

 scientific world. It is to be regretted that this should be the voice of one 

 so distinguished as Professor Simon îsTewcomb, who, however, has con- 

 sistently opposed all time-reform, and who, but temporarily it is to be 

 hoped, has been able to move his government to adopt an attitude of in- 

 difference, though most of the reforms accomplished in this field owe, in 

 no inconsiderable degree, their successful promotion to the United States. 

 In view of the fact, however, that various scientific bodies of high rank 

 in that country have expressed themselves unreservedly in favour of a 

 change in the present made of reckoning the astronomical day, and are 

 urging a reconsideration of the question at Washington, it cannot, and 

 it is not to be held, that Professor Newcomb, in any sense, represents 

 settled American opinion on this subject. This point is set forth in the 

 third report of the joint committee forwarded to the Home authorities 

 through the office of His Excellency the CTOvernoi'-General, September 

 26th, 1895. A valuable paper on the "Unification of Time" was pre- 

 pared for the society by Mr. W. Nelson Greenwood, of Lancaster, Eng., 

 himself a piiblisher of a nautical almanac, in which the proposed time is 

 used with the approval of his readers. Taking a deep interest in assist- 

 ing in the promotion of the reform referred to, Mr. Greenwood has been 

 at the trouble of sending out to every captain and ship-master a circular 

 in which he asks for answers to questions not unlike tho.se distributed by 

 the joint committee of the Canadian Institute and of this society to astro- 

 nomers. Based upon several hundred replies from really representative 

 seamen, Mr. Greenwood has been able to collect data of a most timely and 

 useful character. U])on these data has been founded a fourth report of 

 the joint committee, which, with copious extracts from Mr. Greenwood's 

 tables, has been transmitted to His excellency, in the hope that they will 

 be laid before the Home government, as they reveal a remai-kable unani- 

 mity of opinion in favour of the reform among lho.se men who are, 

 indeed, nuich more interested in its successful prosecution than astrono- 



