ofjixed Stars ; with Remarks coimected with the Sulject. 3/5 



Important, however, as the work now under consideration must 

 be to all practical astronomers, its real utility is at present very 

 much circumscribed by its extreme scarcity. It is believed there 

 are very few copies in this kingdom, and the book is only to be 

 obtained bv direct importation from Palermo *. This evil admits 

 of a remedy, and I sincerely hope its application will not long be 

 delayed. 



8. " Fundamenta Astronomiae, pro anno 1755, deducta ex ob- 

 servationibus viri incomparabilis James Bradley in specula 

 astronomica Grenovicensi, per annos 1750-1 762 institutis, 

 auctore Friderico Wilhelmo Bessel." Fol. Regiomontr, 

 1818. 



The observations of our illustrious countryman Bradley, on the 

 fixed stars, remained upwards of 30 years in manuscript, to the 

 great injury of science f. They were at length printed by the 

 University of Oxford, in two volumes folio, the first having ap- 

 peared in 179S, and the second in 1805. It was reserved for 

 the German astronomer Bessel, to draw from these materials the 

 important results they were capable of affording. After upwards 

 of six years' application, he has produced a work which reflects the 

 highest credit both on his talents and his industry. An analysis 

 of the contents v/as given in the Phil. Mag. previously to its 

 publication. I shall here notice only such parts as mare parti- 

 cularly relate to my present subject. 



Section 10 contains the catalogues of stars; the following 

 passages are extracted from the introduction to that section. 



" Prior catalogorum, quos hie trado astronomis,continet omues 

 a Bradleio observatas stellas, quas vere in ccelo adesse intellexi, 

 quarum copia est 3222 ; alteri insunt observationes, quae ad an- 

 num 1755 non poterant reduci. Inveniuntur autem prioris ca- 

 talogi stells, vet in niagno Piazzii catalogo, vel in Lalandii His- 

 toril Celesti, vel in catalogo Flamsteediano, vel in Indice ad Bodii 

 Uranographiam pertinente : alia^ etiam a mcipso qua^rebantux 

 atque observabantur in specula Regiomontana: ccterae deni(|ti€ 

 a Bradleio pluries variisque temporibus animadversae sunt. Ubi 

 Stellas c Piazzii libro recepi, loci determinationem pro anno 1755 

 comparavi cum ejusdem auctoiis determinatione, ad annum 1800 

 spectante, qualem in nova catalogi editionc reperi : pra^teica 

 nunquam non indicavi, quo loco qua;rendaj sint stclke notat;c, 

 Denominationcs diligentor examinavi, ncque ulli incertitudini hac 



• I cannot omit noticing, tliat the last cilltion is printed with English 

 types, and, 1 suspect, also on Enj^lisli paper. 



f A civtalot;ue of .'^87 stars founded on u small portion of Bradley's obser- 

 vations, was printed in the Nautical Almanac i'or 177^. and is the same that 

 is Ujually referred to as " Uradlcy's Catalogue." According to Lulande, 

 there arc no fewer than GO errors in it. 



