1882. 93 Trans. N. VY. Ac. Scz. 
of the day be only continuously numbered from beginning to end, and 
there will never be any uncertainty as to which part of the day is 
meant. 
Another of the secondary features of the scheme is the designation 
of a zero meridian. The zero meridian is that from which terrestrial 
longitudes begin to be reckoned, and that at which, at the close of the 
day, the count of the day in the monthly calendar shall be momentarily 
the same for the entire globe. Any meridian which might be chosen, 
and which should be generally accepted, would answer for this 
purpose; but sucha selection ought not to be made through mere idle 
caprice. Regard should be had to usages actually existing ; and if 
there is any meridian which has already become more familiar than 
any other to the great majority of mankind, that circumstance should 
be counted in its favor. In a contribution made by me some ten years 
ago to a provisional code of international law drawn up under authority 
of a resolution of this Association, by the Hon. David Dudley Field, 
afterwards President of the Association, I endeavored to assign some 
reasons why the meridian of Greenwich is entitled to be regarded as 
rightfully the first meridian for purposes of longitude. But the same 
reasons apply with equal force to the inferior meridian of Greenwich--that 
is to say, to the meridian twelve hours distant in time, and 180 degrees 
distant in longitude from Greenwich itself; and as I have found, in 
consultation wirh others, that there might be danger of awakening 
national susceptibilites by insisting on Greeawich (though, for myself, 
I fail to find this consideration serious), I have yielded my first opinion, 
and propose to fix the first meridian for time and for terrestial longitude 
at the 180th degree from Greenwich, so that this first meridian will 
fall almost entirely upon the ocean. As in the monthly calendar the 
change of count must begin at some particular meridian, it is desirable 
that this change shall take place, if possible, beyond the limits of all 
habitable lands; and this is true of the meridian proposed, since, 
except a small portion of wild and desolate sub-arctic Kamschatka, it 
scarcely touches any portion of the earth’s surface uncovered by water. 
At this assumed first meridian, therefore, the day in ordinary 
chronology will begin when the mean sun is on the meridian of Green- 
wich ; so that in fact it will be identical with the astronomical day es 
reckoned at that observatory. 
The last of the secondary features of the scheme which I have to no- 
tice, is the proposition to establish, for purposes of pure chronology, 
and for the facilitation of synchronous observations in science, a special 
time-reckoning under the name of cosmopolztan tzme. So long as the 
dimensions of the known world were limited in longitude between the 
Indies on the east and the Canary Islands on the west, there was no 
