AIDS OF THE NEWTONIAN PERIOD. 283 



Mechain, Bouvard. Greenwich observatory was 

 built a few years later (1675); and ever since its 

 erection, the observations there made have been 

 the foundation of the greatest improvements which 

 astronomy, for the time, received. Flamsteed, Hal- 

 ley, Bradley, Bliss, Maskelyne, Pond, have occupied 

 the place in succession : on the retirement of the 

 last-named astronomer in 1835, Professor Airy was 

 removed thither from the Cambridge observatory. 

 In every state, and in almost every principality in 

 Europe, Observatories have been established, but 

 these have often fallen speedily into inaction, or 

 have contributed little to the progress of astronomy, 

 because their observations have not been published. 

 From the same causes, the numerous private ob- 

 servatories which exist throughout Europe have 

 added little to our knowledge, except where the 

 attention of the astronomer has been directed to 

 some definite points; as, for instance, the magni- 

 ficent labours of the Herschels, or the skilful obser- 

 vations made by Mr. Pond with the Westbury circle, 

 which first pointed out the errour of graduation of 

 the Greenwich quadrants. The Observations, now 

 regularly published 8 , are those of Greenwich, begun 

 by Maskelyne, and continued quarterly by Mr. Pond ; 

 those of Konigsberg, published by Bessel since 1814; 

 of Vienna, by Littrow since 1820; of Speier, by 

 Schwerd since 1826 ; those of Cambridge, com- 

 menced by Airy in 1828 ; of Armagh, by Robinson 

 * Airy, Rep. p. 128. 



