364 Astronomical Society. 



Tlie fluctuating use of symbols in mathematical investigations more 

 frequently occasions mistake and misapprehension than the inherent 

 difficulty of the subject matter ; and it is to be lamented that so little 

 care is taken by the generality of authors to be consistent with each 

 other, or even with themselves. An attempt has been made by Mr. 

 Lubbock, under the auspices of the Society, to introduce a system of 

 notation depending upon fixed rules. This paper is now in the press, 

 and will be submitted before publication to the geometers of this and 

 other countries. In this way, it seems i)robab!e that a considerable 

 degree of accordance may be obtained, which it is hoped may be 

 strengthened and confirmed by the sanction and practice of the 

 Society. 



The paper upon the Constant of Aberration, by Mr. William Rich- 

 ardson, to which such marked attention was drawn in the Report of 

 last year, has subsequently been published in the Memoirs of the 

 Society, and fully justified the high ex])ectations excited. The im- 

 mense labour bestowed upon this important investigation, the clear- 

 ness with which it is developed, and the number of observations on 

 which it is founded, must command the admiration of all astronomers. 

 Your Council have unanimously awarded to Mr. Richardson the gold 

 medal for the determination of this fundamental constant. 



A gold medal has also been voted to Professor Encke for the superb 

 Ephemeris of Berlin. It would be superfluous to dwell here upon the 

 merits of this well-known work, which, far outstripping all rivalry, 

 must be considered as the only ephemeris, on a level with the present 

 wants of the science, — the manual and standard of practical astrono- 

 my wherever it may be cultivated. 



The President will deliver the medals at the close of this meeting in 

 the accustomed form. 



Your Council trust that this exposition of the resources and pro- 

 gre.ss of the Society will be satisfactory to the members at large ; but 

 it is not to be forgotten, that much remains to be done, and that more 

 labourers are demanded. It is not sufficient to thank or to admire 

 those who have toiled in the good cause, — the necessity of imitation 

 must be strongly felt and inculcated. There is scarcely any instru- 

 ment which may not be usefully employed, or any acquirements which 

 may not perform good service. Phaenomena may be predicted, preli- 

 minary computations furnished, reductions prepared, with little more 

 knowledge than that of common arithmetic ; occultations, eclipses, 

 moon-culminating stars, planets, may be observed, and portions of 

 the heavens examined and surveyed, with instruments of moderate 

 price and of inferior dimensions. Indeed, in the present state of as- 

 tronomy, the class of differential observations embraces far the greater 

 portion of celestial phaenomena even for the best instruments ; and 

 by the publication of the Berlin Ephemeris, computation is almost 

 wholly reduced to simple interpolation. At no distant period it may 

 be possible for the Council to provide skeleton forms, not merely for 

 registering observations, but for their reduction and for all ordinary 

 calculations. 



It would also be highly desirable to collect and publish annually, 



in 



