322 ADDRESS ON PRESENTING THE GOLD MEDAL OF THE [43 



have already distinguished themselves seem to have acquired a new aptitude 

 in the search. 



It is gratifying to find that one of our own body has been the very 

 foremost in this noble career of discovery; and to him, in testimony of 

 our appreciation of his well-directed and successful labours, the Council has 

 awarded the medal, which it is my pleasing duty this day to present. 



Skilfully using the excellent instrumental means placed at his disposal 

 by the enlightened liberality and scientific zeal of Mr Bishop, and in spite 

 of the interruptions occasioned by a climate, the disadvantages of which 

 are peculiarly felt in researches of this nature, Mr Hind has added no 

 fewer than eight planets to our system, four of which have been found 

 in the course of the past year. After this, I feel that it is unnecessary to 

 add another word in justification of the award of your medal. Mr Hind's 

 discoveries are of a nature to be understood and appreciated by all ; and 

 I shall, therefore, confine myself to a very brief notice of some circumstances 

 connected with them, and to a few remarks on the conclusions to which 

 they seem to point, respecting the constitution of our planetary system. 



The first five of Mr Hind's planets were found by comparing the 

 heavens with the excellent and well-known star-maps of the Berlin Academy. 

 These, however, are limited to 15 on each side of the equator, and there- 

 fore do not include the whole of the region about the ecliptic, which it 

 is so desirable to examine ; neither do they contain stars smaller than 

 between the ninth and tenth magnitudes. 



Mr Bishop, therefore, very soon determined to intrust to Mr Hind the 

 formation of a series of ecliptic charts, which should contain all stars down 

 to the eleventh magnitude, which were situate within 3 on each side of 

 the ecliptic. Mr Hind has already begun to reap the fruits of these labours, 

 the planet Fortuna having been detected in the course of preparing one 

 of the charts, while Calliope and Thalia were found by the comparison of 

 two of the completed charts with the heavens. 



Eight of these valuable charts have now been published, and I under- 

 stand that most of the remaining ones are considerably advanced. Other 

 astronomers, particularly Mr Cooper of Markree, are engaged in the prepar- 

 ation of charts on a similar plan, and the path of future discoverers cannot 

 fail to be singularly facilitated by their means. 



