SUPPLEMENTARY PAPERS. 99 
astronomers, who are desirous of making use of astronomical informa- 
tion. And in such respect this sacrifice ceases so to be considered 
and is transformed into an act of public utility with regard to all 
astronomical details which stand in clear relationship with the outer 
world, in which almost daily conflicts come to the surface between 
the different designations of dates. Conflicts, among others, which 
even are injurious to astronomical labours in such observatories, 
where observations are continually adjusted to the day. 
Great Britain, apparently, has the greatest reason to be satisfied 
with the Washington Resolutions, for, in her case, there is the 
greatest accomplishment of her wishes, with a minimum of discom- 
fort and sacrifice. The cartography of the whole Kingdom and its 
Colonies is already based on the Meridian of Greenwich, and the 
notation of time in commercial relations in civil life in England and 
Scotland is determined by mean Greenwich Time, which hereafter 
also will be recognized as Universal Time. This preference is a 
tribute of gratitude for the immense expenditure of time and labour 
which for more than two centuries English astronomers, navigators 
and geographers have continuously bestowed on geography and navi- 
gation, far exceeding all that in this respect has been done by all 
other countries. But, on the other hand, this preference has 
imposed upon England the moral obligation to exert herself to carry 
out earnestly the wishes expressed at the Washington Conference, 
namely, the establishment of accord between ordinary Astronomical 
and Nautical Time notation. It is deserving of comment that this 
obligation is recognized and that the present Astronomer Royal, Mr. 
H. M. Christie, already has taken the first step in this direction. 
Since the Ist of January of this year, the date of observations, and 
chiefly in the interior ecofiomy of the Greenwich Observatory, the 
date will be set forth equally for the mean Greenwich Time 
hitherto used and also for Universal Time. In all the publications 
issued from this Observatory the old mode of notation will be main- 
tained until it appear advisable to use exclusively Universal Time. 
At the same time Mr. Christie has given instructions that the great 
dial which stands at the entrance to Greenwich Observatory, which 
in a manner regulates the time for the whole of England, being con- 
tinually brought into requisition by the public, henceforth will show 
Universal Time from midnight to the 24 succeediug hours. It must 
appear not less important that the directors of the Nautical 
Almanac have in deliberation whether and when the corresponding 
changes in its arrangement with regard to all other disseminated 
Ephermerides are to commence in order to make them accord with 
the Date-notation of Universal Time. Possibly it might be arranged 
to come to pass for the year 1890. 
While the Directors of the Pultowa Observatory make their full 
acknowledgment to the Astronomer Royal for this precedent which 
