Astronomical Society. 299 



themselves. To the individuals of the Society it more pro- 

 perly belongs to furnish those subjects which may tend to the 

 improvement of the science, either theoretically or practically. 

 The Council have, indeed, in some of their tbrmer Reports, 

 ventured to suggest several points as more particularly worthy 

 of the attention of the Members, but it must be obvious to 

 every one, that these are a. few only of the desiderata in Astro- 

 nomy ; and that many others will suggest themselves to every 

 skilful and intelligent observer. 



The meeting then proceeded to the election of Officers for 

 the ensuing year, when the following List was delivered in by 

 the scrutineers : viz. 



President: J. F. W. Herschel, Esq. M.A. F.R.S. L. & E. 

 M.R.I.A.&F.G.S.— F/ce-Pr^szW^H^s; Capt. F. Beaufort, R.N. 

 F.R.S.; Lieut.-Gen. Sir T. M. Brisbane, K.C.B. F.R.S. L. & E.; 

 Henry Thomas Colebrooke, Esq. F.R.S. L. & E. F.L.S. & 

 G.S.; James South, Esq. F.R.S. & L.S.—7rra5«ra-; Rev. 

 William Pearson, LL.D. F.R.S. — Secretaries .- Olinthus G. 

 Gregory, LL.D. Prof. Math. Roy. Mil. Acad. Woolwich; 

 Lieut. W. S. Stratford, R.N. — Foreign Secretary: Charles 

 Babbage, Esq. M.A. F.R.S. L. & E. & M.K.I.K.— Council : 

 Francis Baily, Esq. F.R.S. L.S. & G.S. & M.R.I.A.; Colonel 

 Mark Beaufoy, F.R.S. & L. S. ; Lieut.-Col. Thomas Colby, 

 R.E. LL.D. & F.R.S. L. & E. ; Capt. George Everest ; Davies 

 Gilbert, Esq. M.P. V.P.R.S. F.L.S. & G.S. ; Benjamin 

 Gompertz, Esq. F.R.S.; Stephen Groombridge, Esq.F.R.S.; 

 James Horsburgh, Esq. F.R.S,; Rt. Hon. Lord Oxmantown ; 

 Edward Riddle, Esq, 



March 9. — At this meeting there was read, a " Notice respecting 

 some errors common to many tables of logarithms,"' by C. Babbage, 

 Esq. Foreign Secretary of this Society. IVlr. Babbage having lately 

 printed a stereotype table of the logarithms of the natural numbers 

 for the use of the Trigonometrical Survey in Ireland, for the sake of 

 greater accuracy subjected them to eight readings and comparisons 

 with other tables. This cautious process led to the detection of va- 

 rious errors, which are common to almost all the tables ; those of 

 Vega, the last impressions of Callet, and Mr. Babbage's own tables, 

 being all that he has found free from the errors whicli he specifies. 

 The tables subjected to this examination, were those of Vlacq, (jou- 

 da, 1628, carried to ten figures ; Vlacq, London, 1633; Wingate, 

 London, UVS'i ; Newton, in his Tri^. Britan. 1658, to eiglit figures; 

 Sherwin, London, 1726; 'indcd. 174.1; 3rd ed. 174'2; (iardiner, Lon- 

 don, 174'2 ; Slierwin, 4-th ed. 1761 ; 5t]i ed. 1770; Gaidiner, Avignon, 

 1770; Schulze, Berlin, 1778; Gardiner, I'urcnze, 1782; Taylor, 

 London, 1792; Vega, Leipsic, 1794; Callet, (stereotype,) Paris', 

 2 Q 2 1795 ; 



