366 Astronomical Society. 



lies, let us not forget honourably to notice, that from the Royal Ob- 

 servatory of Greenwich has issued, but a few weeks since, a Catalogue 

 of 720 Stars ; — a valuable treasure, and for whicli the astronomical 

 world is indebted to this Society, as well as to the Astronomer Royal; 

 inasmuch as the stars it embraces have been selected from, and re- 

 duced by, the Society's Catalogue. On examining the important facts 

 resulting from this first series, and which the Astronomer Royal has 

 exhibited by actual comparison with our own work, let us hope^ now 

 that his fundamental catalogue has reached a degree of accuracy pro- 

 bably unexampled in astronomical history, he will persevere in the 

 task ; assured as he may be, tliat no one thing would tend more to 

 the credit of the Observatory, and to his own glory, than that his name 

 should be attached to a large catalogue of stars, called, as in the good 

 old times of Flamsteed, " The British Catalogue." 



The Royal Observatory of Paris is also an object of increasing in- 

 terest J a splendid equatorial by Gambey has been added to its pre- 

 vious collection ; and the transit instrument by the same distinguished 

 artist, so long and so anxiously looked for by our confreres of Paris, 

 is at length placed on its piers ; whilst the observatory, properly so 

 called, is about to be remodelled and rendered more convenient for 

 astronomical labour. We hail the recommencement of the observa- 

 tions as an aera which will be worthy of the country of Cassini*, of 

 La Caille, and of La Lande ; of La Grange, Legendre, and La Place, 

 The sentiments of the late distinguished Secretary of the Institute, 

 that " Ce n'est pas le tout que de fonder un observatoire et de doter 

 I'astronome, il faudrait faire un fonds annuel pour I'impression, et 

 imposer a I'astronome I'obligation de n'etre jamais en retard d'une 

 anneef ," being adopted by the astronomers of Paris, we shall not 

 have to regret that observations, made with such instruments and by 

 such men, shall be available only to those who reside within the walls 

 of the observatory. We have this year set our Parisian friends a 

 splendid example, and doubtless they will follow it. 



As to the improvement of the achromatic telescope, since our last 

 anniversary, much cannot be said. The theory of Mr. Rogers has not, 

 as far as I know, been put to the test of practice, in a manner at all 

 commensurate with its merits ; whilst Mr. Barlow's achromatic, of 

 eight inches aperture and eleven feet focal length, owing to imper- 

 fections in the material of its exterior lens, does not define close side- 

 real objects so neatly as might be wished, but is, nevertheless, appli- 

 cable to many useful purposes ; and there is a hope that the labours 

 of a sister society, although hitherto unsuccessful in furnishing us with 



* Cassini was an Italian professor ; he was, however, called to Paris by 

 Colbert, whose coinprehensive mind felt that not only military success, but 

 scientific reputation could confer glory on his country. Not only did he 

 place the observatory of Paris under the care of Cassini, but men of all 

 countries who had distinguished themselves by their scientific acquirements 

 were invited by that illustrious patron of science to reside in Paris. He was 

 also~ the founder of the Academic dcs Sciences, and of the Observatory of 

 Paris. 



t Hist, de I'Astron. au XVlIleme sifecle; par Delambre, p. 116. 



the 



