ASTRONOMY 171 



over seventy years old as a publication, and though 

 astronomy has enormously advanced since its appear- 

 ance, it is still the only work of its kind, and copies 

 command a high price. Attempts have been made 

 to construct compendiums, but at the best with only 

 partial success. It is a notable instance of the 

 catholicity of the Association that so considerable an 

 expenditure should have been devoted to a work of 

 this kind, which is an essential part of the technical 

 equipment of one particular science. The Royal 

 Astronomical Society, which appropriately produced 

 an earlier volume, lacked the funds to proceed to 

 the next much needed step, but the Association was 

 able to come to the rescue of the scheme. 



In regard to the investigation of luminous 

 meteors and aerolites, annual reports on the progress 

 of meteoric astronomy were published between 

 1848 and 1880 ; and under the direction in earlier 

 years of Baden Powell, and later of Alexander 

 S. Herschel, a mass of observational facts and allu- 

 sions to contemporary investigations concerning 

 meteors was published in the Association reports and 

 formed an almost exhaustive means of reference and 

 basis for critical study. The position of meteoric 

 astronomy during the years above mentioned may be 

 said to have changed entirely, for our knowledge of 

 both its theoretical and practical sides stood in a very 

 crude and imperfect condition in 1848, while in 1880, 

 when the labours of the Association committee on 

 luminous meteors ceased, this branch had been so 

 much advanced as to be considered a very important 

 section of astronomy. Schiaparelli, Newton, Adams, 

 and others made investigations which led to the 

 discovery of an intimate connexion, if not absolute 



