UNIVERSAL OR COSMIC TIME. 9 
of a cosmopolitan normal datum (Prime Meridian) and of Universal 
Time, and also the establishment of 24 meridians of an hour apart, 
by which local time will be absorbed. The first proposal Mr. Forster 
describes as an important sign of the times and evidently favours it. 
He strongly protests against the establishment of a National Ger- 
man Time ; but for railway business, and for such matters of commu- 
nication as require precision, also for the form of expression of all 
scientitic relations to time, Mr. Forster points out that a Universal 
Time common to the whole world is to be recommended. 
Dr. G. von Boguslavski, in the Verhandlungen der Gesellschaft 
fiir Erdkunde, (Transactions of the Geographical Society of Berlin), 
commends the new scheme as it has been put forth in the Canadian 
Institute papers, and foretells that it will bea matter of fact in a 
short time. 
Col. Aden, Director of the Military School, Belgium, has two 
papers in the Bulletin dela Société Belge de Géographic. He supports 
the proposal to establish Universal Time, and expresses the opinion 
that longitude throughout the world should have a common notation, 
dating from one universally accepted Prime Meridian. 
Col. Wauverman, President of the Geographical Society of Ant- 
werp, in the Bulletin of that society, 1882, advocates the change, 
and with ability meets the arguments raised against it, showing them 
to be groundless and arising from a want of thoroughly understand- 
ing the question. 
In Spain, the proposals have met with full support. All the papers 
issued by the Canadian Institute have been translated and published 
in a pamphlet of 80 pages by the Revista General de Marina. The 
translator, Don Juan Pastorin, an officer of the Spanish navy, is 
warm in his commendation of the scheme, and takes a wise and com- 
_ prehensive view of the whole question. The Spanish Government 
secured the advantage of this gentleman’s services as Delegate to the 
Washington Conference. 
M. Otto Struve, the well-known Astronomer and Director of the 
Imperial Observatory, Pultowa, reports on the papers transmitted by 
‘Lord Lorne to the Imperial Academy of Science, St. Petersburg. 
He gives his adherence to the establishment of Universal Time, based, 
as suggested, on a Prime Meridian common to the whole globe, and 
strongly advocates counting the hours in one series up to twenty-four. 
In England, the Royal Society considered favoarably both the 
