PROCEEDINGS— APPENDIX A A-IS 



issued to ustronomers of all nations, inviting replies to th»} following 

 question, viz. : " is it desirable, all interests consi<lcred, that on and 

 after the first day of January, 1901, the astronomical day should every- 

 where begin at Mean Midnight ? " The circular was 'sent to every 

 astronomer whose name appears in the general list of observatories and 

 astronomers prepared by Mr. Lancaster, of the Eoyal Observator}- of 

 Brussels, with the following result : 171 replies in all have been received, 

 a complete list of which is appended ; of these, 108 are in favour and 63 

 are not in favour of the proposed change. Many of the former are 

 strongly and earnestly in favour of the adoption of the civil day for 

 astronomical purposes, while the writers of some of the latter seem to 

 have been under a misapprehension. They object to the adoption of the 

 civil day on the ground that its division into two series of twelve hours, 

 designated A.M., and P.M., would be inconvenient for astronomers. It 

 is obvious that this objection has no weight, as the twenty-four hour- 

 notation would remain associated with astronomical reckonings as at 

 present ; -moreover, indications are not wanting that the astronomical 

 practice of counting the hours in a single series from 1 to 24, will gradu- 

 ally win its way into general favour in civil life. The twenty-four hour- 

 notation has already been introduced into use over wide districts in 

 Canada, in the whole of Italy, and throughout the Indian Empire, and 

 there is a movement in Europe, in Australia, as well as in the United 

 States of America, especially among railway men, to bring this mode of 

 reckoning the hours into general use. 



In classifying the replies from astronomers according to the coun- 

 tries from which they have been received, the votes for or against the 

 change, stand as follows : — 



In Favour of the (*hange. 



Austria, Australia, Belgium, 



Canada, Colombia, England, 



France, Greece, Italy, 



Ireland, Jamaica, Madagascar, 



Mexico, Eoumauia, Eussia, 



Scotland, Spain, United States. 



Unfavourable to the Change. 



Germany, Holland, 



Norway, Portugal. 



According to this classification of the astronomers heard from, those 

 of eighteen countries are in favour, and those of four are against, the 

 adoption of the recommendations of the Washington International 

 Conference of 188-t with respect to the astronomical and nautical days. 



