CHAP, vi] Her Astronomical Labours. 225 



and not inserted in the British Catalogue, together with a 

 collection of errata that should be noticed in the same 

 volume. 



Shortly after the death of her brother, Miss Hersehel 

 returned to Hanover. Unwilling, however, to relinquish 

 her astronomical labours whilst anything useful presented 

 itself, she undertook and completed the laborious reduction 

 of the places of 2,500 nebulae, to the 1st of January, 1800, 

 presenting in one view the results of all Sir William 

 Herschel's observations on those bodies, thus bringing to a 

 close half a century spent in astronomical labour. 



For this more immediately, and to mark their estimation 

 of services rendered during a whole life to astronomy, your 

 Council resolved to confer on her the distinction of a medal 

 of this Society. The peculiarity of our President's situa- 

 tion, however, and the earnest manner 'in which the feelings 

 naturally arising from it were urged when the subject was 

 first brought forward, caused your Council to pause, and 

 waive on that occasion the actual passing their proposed 

 vote. The discussion was, however, renewed on Monday 

 last, and, although there was every disposition to meet the 

 President's wishes, still under a conviction that the actual 

 doing so would have been a dereliction of public dut} r , it was 



Resolved unanimously, " That a Gold Medal of this 

 Society be given to Miss Caroline Herschel, for her recent 

 reduction, to January, 1800, of the Nebulae discovered by 

 her illustrious brother, which may be considered as the com- 

 pletion of a series of exertions probably unparalleled either 

 in magnitude or importance in the annals of astronomical 

 labour." This vote I am sure every one whom I have the 

 honour to address will most heartily confirm. 



Mr. Herschel, in the name of the Astronomical Society 

 of London, I present this medal to your illustrious aunt. 

 In transmitting it to her, assure her that since the founda- 



Q 



