310. Proceedings of the British Association. 
* ; 
Revision of the Nomenclature of the Stars.—Report of acom- 
mittee appointed in 1838, consisting of Sir J. Herschel, and 
Messrs. Whewell and Baily. ‘The revision of the northern hem- 
isphere and the constellations” visible in Europe, has been con- 
tinued by Mr. Baily, by carefully tracing the just and ath, 
thentic limits of the existing and recognized constellations, nd 
by acareful examination of the several stars, in the course of 
which many singular instances of confusion and error in naming 
and placing have been detected. This process, which involves 
an investigation of the history of each star, and of the designa- 
tions it has received from each of its observers, and in the several 
catalogues in which it occurs, is nearly complete, and may be 
considered as clearing the ground for a systematic nomenclature 
of the northern stars, as well as for an effective table of syno- 
nyms of each star. In the southern hemisphere, or rather in 
those constellations which are visible only to an observer in that 
hemisphere, Sir John Herschel has continued, and nearly com- 
pleted, a chart of those stars only, and of all those stars which are 
distinctly visible to the naked eye in aclear night; in which 
chart each star is represented of its true magnitude, according toa 
scale, in which the total interval from the stars of the first mag- 
nitude, to the lowest inserted, in place of six degrees, is made to 
consist of eighteen, so as to subdivide each magnitude into three. 
The final assignment of these magnitudes, restitig on the collation 
and inter-comparison of an extensive series of observations, made 
for that express purpose with the naked eye, occasionally assist- 
ed by a common opera glass, has been a work of much time and 
labor, and is not yet quite completed. Nor till this is accom: 
plished, can any further progress be made in the arrangement of 
the southern constellations, which at present are in a state of 
great confusion. A small part only of the grant of £50, has 
been expended, but the whole, will, no doubt, be required ; and 
your committee therefore recommend its continuance.—Signed 
for the Committee, J. F. W. Herscuen. “ 
On the Reduction of the stars in Lacaille’s Calum Australe 
Stelliferum, the committee report, that the reductions of all the 
stars are finished; and Mr. Henderson’s assistant is at presen! 
arranging the results in the form of a catalogue, which however, 
could not be completed in time for this meeting. The comple- 
ted portion, so far as finished, has been transmitted to Mr. Baily; 
“* 
baa J 
