PROCEEDINGS— APPENDIX A A -13 



APPENDIX III. 



Unipicatton of i'he Astronomical. Civil and Nautical Days. 



Second Beport of t/ie Joint Committee of the Canadidn Institute and the 



Astronomiral and Physical Society of Toronto. 



{May 10th. ISOJ^.) 



Committee, — SaiKlford Fleming, C.M.G., LL.D.. C.K., Cliairmaii ; 

 Arthur Harvey, Esq., Cxeorge Kennedy, M.A.. LL.D.. Alan 3Iacdougall. 

 M. Inst. CE., Charles Carpmael. M.A., F.E.A.S., .John A. Paterson, 

 M.A.. G. E. Lumsden, Esq. 



Second Eeport. 



The Joint Committee, appointed by the Canadian Institute and 

 the Astronomical and Phj'sical Society of Toronto, have the hont)ur 

 to rejiort on that branch of the subject of Time-reckoning specially 

 referred to them. 



' The unitication of the reckoning of the day has long been under 

 consideration. Sir .John Herschell, in his '• Outlines of Astronomy." 

 alluded to the advantages which would result from bringing into agree- 

 ment the civil, the astronomical, and the nautical da3's. lie pointed 

 out that the adoption of the civil day for astronomical purposes would 

 but slightly inconvenience astronomers, and that in a question which 

 concerns all other classes of men, astronomers should resolve to act on 

 general principles and cheerfully submit to a small inconvenience in 

 view of the far wider interests which would be benefited. '■ uni- 

 formity. ' he said, '■ in nomenclature and mode of reckoning in all 

 matters relating to lime, space, weight, measures, etc., is of such vast 

 and ])aramount importance in eveiy relation of life as to outweigh every 

 consideration of technical convenience or custom." 



The civil day begins at midnight and ends at the midnight fol- 

 lowing. The astronomical day begins at noon of the civil da}' and 

 continues until the following noon. The nautical day concludes at noon 

 of the civil day. having commenced at the preceding noon. 



It is obvious that any given date extends over, or into, three 

 di lièrent days. Take for example, Wednesday, .June 13th. By astron- 

 omical and nautical reckonings, only half of this date in each case is on 

 Wednesday ; thetir.st half of .June 13th, according to nautical reckoning, 

 is on Tuesday. .lune 12th. Avliile the second half of the same date (.June 



