Asironomical Society. S65 



in a condensed form, observations presented to them by British and 

 foreign astronomers, and not printed elsewhere, — a repository and 

 digest of the services of amateur observers. The Council confidently 

 rely upon the energy and activity of the members, and of all friends 

 to astronomical science, for the accomplishment of this important ob- 

 ject. Thus, not only will a large mass of valuable information be 

 rescued from oblivion, and preserved in a shape the best adapted to 

 comparison and use, but a deeper interest will be felt by (he contri- 

 butor, and a stronger motive offered for that care and method, without 

 which computation is rendered useless, and instruments degenerate 

 into toys. 



(The President then addressed the Meeting on the subject of the 

 award of the Medals, as follows : — ) 



Gektlkmen, — Ere we proceed to the distribution of our honorary 

 rewards, I cannot but congratulate you on the general state of astro- 

 nomical affairs ; whether we turn to the north or to the south, to the 

 east or to the west, the astronomical horizon presents a more pro- 

 mising aspect than it has done for many years ; and what is peculiar- 

 ly gratifying to us is, that amidst the general endeavours to advance 

 astronomical knowledge, our own country this year stands indeed 

 conspicuous. Since our last anniversary, the observations of Profes- 

 sor Airy have done honour to the University of Cambridge ; those of 

 Dr. Robinson have rewarded the munificence of the Primate of Ireland ; 

 and others made at Paramatta, in the observatory founded by Sir 

 Thomas Brisbane, and which (thanks principally to the exertions of 

 members of this Society) is now become an observatory in the service 

 of the British government, give us an earnest of the value of those 

 observations of Sir Thomas's, now in the course of reduction by Mr, 

 Richardson, as also of the importance of others, which, on the autho- 

 rity of the government, we are henceforth regularly to receive from 

 Paramatta. Again, within these few days has arrived a first series of 

 standard transit observations, made by Mr. Fallows at the Cape Ob- 

 servatory. They are, as yet, unpublished. Knowing him, however, 

 intimately as I do, and having witnessed his early astronomical career, 

 I may be permitted to felicitate you on their arrival, confident that 

 whatever comes from him will be honourable to his country, for it will 

 be worthy of himself. But that these observatories have rendered to 

 us tiieir first fruits, is not all : others are in a state fast approaching 

 to practical utility ; and when another year shall glide away, he who 

 shall have the honour to fill the chair I now so unworthily occupy, will 

 have, I hope, to ajjplaud the activity of the observatories of Brussels 

 and Cadiz, of Cracow and of Edinburgh, of Geneva and Madras*. 



While exulting, however, in the accession of these new observato- 



• This is not literally a new observatory ; tlic instruments, however, now 

 sibout to he sent tliitlicr, are so far superior to those already there, that it 

 may almost be regarded as a new estahlisiinient. The same a|)plics to the 

 Geneva observatory, but with greater force ; for not only arc su|)erior in- 

 struments ordered for it, hut a new building is being prepared for their re- 

 ception. 



rics. 



