xxvi BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE. 



impression which was made on me by the author's undoubting confidence in the general 

 truth of his theory, by the calmness and clearness with which he limited the field of 

 observation, and by the firmness with which he proclaimed to observing astronomers, 

 'Look in the place which I have indicated, and you will see the planet well.'... It is 

 here, if I mistake not, that we see a character far superior to that of the able, or 

 enterprising, or industrious mathematician: it is here that we see the philosopher." 



Adams was not fortunate in the two astronomers to whom he communicated his 

 results: neither of them gave to a young and retiring man the kind of help or 

 advice that he should have received. Challis, a most conscientious and painstaking 

 astronomer, had obtained for him the places of Uranus that he required, and written him 

 a letter of introduction to the Astronomer Royal. Although quite appreciative of Adams's 

 calculations, he was occupied with his own observatory work, and seems to have left the 

 matter in the hands of Airy. He undertook the search for the planet when it was 

 suggested to him by Airy, after the publication of Le Verrier's paper, and carried it out 

 methodically and with scrupulous care, as was his practice in everything; and in course 

 of time the planet would have been discovered : but he does not seem to have been 

 alive to the importance of making known in a more public way than by communi- 

 cation to the Astronomer Royal the results which Adams had obtained. As professor 

 in the University he should not have allowed a young Senior Wrangler, through modesty 

 or diffidence or inexperience, to do such injustice to himself. It is evident that even 

 if the planet had been discovered at Cambridge, the same difficulty would have had to 

 be encountered as that which actually occurred in bringing Adams's claims before the 

 world, as Le Verrier's work had been already published arid his indications had been 

 used in the search. Airy states that he regarded the question of the radius vector as 

 an experimentum crucis, and waited with much anxiety for Adams's reply to his query. 

 When he found that Le Verrier assigned nearly the same position to the planet as 

 Adams, and when Le Verrier had explained to him that the error in radius vector was 

 corrected, any doubt with respect to the quality of Adams's work, which the absence of a 

 reply to his enquiry may have caused, must have been removed, and the time had clearly 

 come to take some notice of the paper which had been in his possession for seven 

 months. But though he mentioned the matter at the meeting of the Board of Visitors 

 on June 29 and suggested the search to Challis on July 9, he took no steps, either 

 directly or through Challis, to bring about the public announcement of Adams's results. 



Of course Airy knew that Adams had Challis and possibly other Cambridge men to 

 advise him with respect to publication. Challis was a man of gentle and kindly nature, 

 but slow in action and wanting in initiative : Airy, however, was a man of vigorous 

 character, and it seems unaccountable that he should have taken no steps to secure the 

 publication of Adams's results, even after his correspondence with Le Verrier in June 

 1846'. The fact that no reply had been received to the radius vector question affords 

 no adequate explanation; he could have written to Adams again or applied to Challis, 

 if he still considered an answer essential. 



It is easy to understand the "delight and satisfaction" which Airy as a mathe- 

 matician may have received from Le Verrier's paper confirming Adams's place of the 

 1 Sedgwick's letter, from which the interview with out without more delay. Was Adams ever BO much aa 

 Adams is quoted on the next page, contains the following told that Le Verrier was at his heels ? Our astronomers 

 passage: "When it was found that Adams was confirmed ought to have got up a flare in an instant." 

 by the fortunate Frenchman the facts ought to have been 



