200 History of the Discovery of the Planet Neptune. 
The honor of the discovery is not to be exclusively engrossed by 
either Adams or Le Verrier. ‘The labors of numerous astrono- 
mers had prepared the way, and contributed more or wee directly 
to the discovery. Anemunent critic ridicules this idea. But 
Adams himself informs us, that his attention was pees directed to 
the subject of the motions of Uranus, by reading Airy’s report on 
the recent progress of astronomy; and Le Verrier states, that in 
the summer of 1845, he suspended the nese on comets, up- 
on which he was then employed, to devote his time to Uranus, 
at the urgent solicitation of M. Arago. Omitting several who 
planet Neptune ; viz., Adams, Challis, Le Verrier, Galle and Walk- 
s first determined the place of the new planet from the 
 torhdtions of Uranus. Professor Challis was the first to insti- 
tute a systematic search for the planet, and had actually secured 
two observations of it, before it was seen at Berlin. ‘True, he 
did not at the time know that he had found the planet, for he had 
not interrogated his observations. But the prize was secured, and 
he would infailibly have recognized it, as soon as he had institu- 
ted a comparison of his observations. In his eager zeal to make 
sure of the diamond, he shoveled up with it a great mass of rub- 
bish, and stored it all away to examine at his leisure. 
o Le Verrier belongs the credit of having been the first to 
pablish to the world the process by which he arrived at the con- 
clusion of the existence of a new planet; and it is conceded that 
his researches were more complete and elaborate than those of 
his rival. ‘To Galle belongs the undisputed honor of having ne 
the first practically to recognize this body as a planet; and too 
own countryman belongs “the glory of having traced this Body 
in his journeyings for more than half a century, and 
out of 50,000 stars recorded by Lalande, singled out one as 
identical with the planet Neptune. 
o give to the new planet the name of Le Verrier, would be 
indeed to confer honor where honor was due; but it would be 
dishonor to others, whose pretensions are but little inferior to his 
own. The astronomers of Europe have preferred to take a name 
from the divinities of the Greek mythology, in conformity with 
a well established usage; and as the name of Neptune harmoni- 
zes with this system, and withal was first suggested by the Bu- 
reau des Longitudes, they are disposed to adhere to it. This is 
the decision of the astronomers of Great Britain, of Germany, of 
Russia, and of Europe generally, with the exception perhaps of 
France ; and indeed we infer that Arago himself has yielded to 
the force of the general current. The Comptes Rendus of the 
Academy, for August, 1847, notices the planet of M. Le Verrier ; 
and the Comptes Rendus for September, speaks. of the planet 
