298 Proceedings of Philosophical Societies. [April^ 



devoted himself indefatigably to the practice of astronomy, at. 

 Paramatta in that colony, having taken out with him some, 

 excellent instruments for that purpose. He and his assistants 

 have already made several thousand observations, the records 

 of which have been sent over to this country : and it is hoped 

 that they will be published, either in their original shape, or 

 after they have been reduced to some appropriate epoch. Dr. 

 Brinkley, of Dublin, one of the Vice-Presidents of this Society, 

 has instituted a series of computations on Sir Thomas Brisbane's 

 Observations, with a view to the comparison of the results thus 

 furnished, with the results deduced from observations made in 

 the northern hemisphere. This particular inquiry has served to 

 confirm the accuracy of the constant of refraction, formerly 

 exhibited by that illustrious astronomer in his well-known for-, 

 mula for that species of reduction. Dr. Brinkley's paper on this 

 subject is printed, and will appear in Part I. Vol. II. of the 

 Memoirs of this Society. 



" Another of the members of the Astronomical Society, the 

 Rev. Fearon Fallows, Astronomer at the Cape of Good Hope, 

 has also made a great number of observations of the southern 

 stars ; and the Royal Society has published his Approximate 

 Catalogue of 273 of the priucijjal stars observed by La Caille. 



"The continuance of observations, such as these, at two 

 Observatories in the southern hemisphere, cannot but be pro- 

 ductive of considerable benefit to the science of astronomy. In 

 order, however, that they may be rendered subservient, in the 

 highest degree, to the extension of this branch of knowledge, it 

 is especially desirable that some efficient plan of co-operation 

 should be arranged between the astronomers at some of the 

 northern observatories, and those who are employed at the two 

 above-mentioned stations, south of the equator. Those who are 

 conversant with the history of astronomy will recollect that when 

 La Caille went to the Cape of Good Hope, in 1751, he addressed 

 a circular letter to the principal astronomers in Europe, enforc- 

 ing the advantages of co-operation ; and Lalande was in conse- 

 quence sent to Berlin, to act in concert with him. Circum- 

 stances are now still more favourable for the production of 

 advantageous results, provided a judicious plan of mutual co- 

 operation be agreed upon. For while there is the Observatory 

 established by Sir T. Brisbane in New South Wales, and that 

 occupied by Mr. Fallows at the Cape ; there are also in the 

 northern hemisphere, M. Bessel at Konigsberg, M. Struve at 

 Dorpat, and M. Argelander at Abo (the meridians of the four 

 latter-mentioned places ditfering from each other but a very few 

 degrees), — the respective astronomers, men of considerable 

 science, activity and perseverance, and possessing instruments 

 far superior to those which were in existence in the time of 

 La Caille. The advantages of this kind of pre-arranged co- 



