40 C. V. L. CHARLIER, 
These values of /(4) are graphically represented in figure 1. It 
is seen immediately from the table as well as from the figure that 2 
roots of the equation /(4) = 0 are equal, so nearly equal, indeed, that 
their difference cannot be determined from the present data. This re- 
sult implies that the galactic system, as far as it is determined by the 
B-stars, has the form of a figure of rotation. 
The position of the axis of rotation (— the axis of the Galaxy) 
is determined from the third root of the equation F(4) = 0, This root 
has the value 
(The double root is 4, = + 0,73). 
The corresponding values of the subdeterminants 7, and of the 
direction cosines /, m, n are: 
In = AO ors, SS a Vers 5 
Is = + 1.518 , m= + 0.0664 , 
a UNE Vase 
These direction cosines determine that part of the axis of rota- 
tion which is directed against the south part of the heavens. The 
spherical coordinates of that point where the axis of rotation meets 
the northern sky are 
(es Messa MATE 
(17) 
QUI STAT 
The pole of the Milky Way, according to HovzEAv and GouLD, 
used in part // of these studies, had the coordinates 
a = 1919.25 , 
o= +218 . 
The agreement is satisfactory. As the coordinates (17) are de- 
rived from the position of the stars (751 stars) in space, whereas the 
values (17*) are based only on the spherical coordinates of the stars, 
the determination (17) ought to have the preference over (17*). I 
