404 
when it became vacant in 1874. Ball threw him- 
self into his new duties at Dunsink Observatory 
with his usual energy, and decided to continue 
the investigations on the annual parallax of stars 
carried out by his predecessor, Briinnow, by 
means of micrometer observations. In addition 
to working on a few stars throughout the year 
in the usual way, he broke fresh ground by 
attempting to find stars with a large parallax by 
what he called “reconnoitring observations.” He 
observed a great number of stars only twice, with 
an interval of six months, at the time of greatest 
parallactic displacement. In a very few cases 
the measures seemed to indicate that the star 
might be within a measurable distance from us, 
and he therefore took a regular series of observa- 
tions of these stars. For two stars he found in 
this way parallaxes of a third of a second and 
half a second, which, however, were not subse- 
quently confirmed, and the rapid rise of astro- 
nomical photography has led to the complete 
abandonment of visual observations in work on 
annual parallax. But Ball’s experiment in 
search of stars with a large parallax is an in- 
teresting one all the same. For three or four 
years he devoted his whole time to this work, 
which he arranged and carried out in the most 
businesslike and methodical manner, often ob- 
serving till 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning, and the 
results were published in Parts III. and V. of 
the Dunsink Observations, the latter of which 
appeared in 1884. After that time he seems to 
have done very little observing, probably on 
account of renewed trouble with one of his eyes, 
which had been accidentally injured in his youth, 
and later (in 1897) had to be removed. 
In 1884 Ball was appointed scientific adviser to 
the Commissioners of Irish Lights, and in 1886 
he was knighted by the Lord Lieutenant of 
Ireland. In February, 1892, he was elected 
Lowndean professor of astronomy and geometry 
and director of the Observatory at Cambridge, 
leaving Dunsink to take up the appointment in 
the following autumn. At Cambridge he con- 
tinued as previously to divide his time between 
his official duties, his mathematical researches, 
and his activity as a popular lecturer and writer 
of popular astronomical books and articles. He 
was president of the Royal Astronomical Society 
in 1897-99. In 1908 he published his last book, 
“A Treatise on Spherical Astronomy,” more in- 
tended for the use of college students than for 
practical astronomers, but written in his usual 
clear and concise style. 
Sir Robert Ball died on November 25, after 
a long and lingering illness. His genial and 
hearty manner, his fund of wit and his enthusiasm 
for any subject which had taken hold of his mind, 
made him a favourite wherever he went. Anyone 
who has worked under him will not forget his 
readiness to allow his subordinates to carry out 
any special work in their own way and to reap 
therefrom whatever credit they could. 
I 35 Baal Dp BP 
NO. 2301, VOL. 92] 
NATURE 
eae 
[DrecEMBER 4, 1913 
ie 
THE ANNIVERSARY MEETING OF 
ROYAL SOCIETY: 
ic anniversary meeting ofthe Royal Socie 
was held on Monday, December 1, when 1 
report of the Council was presented and t 
retiring president, Sir Archibald Geikie, deliver 
an address. Sir William Crookes was elect 
president of the society, and the other offi 
and members of council, whose names were g 
in Nature of November 13 (p. 324), were als 
elected. 
The council reports that a critical period has been 
reached in the development of the work of the 
committee on the Catalogue of Scientific Papers. 
Since 1901 the sum of 21,1511. 15s. 2d., mainly 
contributed by the late Dr. Ludwig Mond, has | 
been expended on the preparation of the 
Catalogue, and with the exception of the income ~ 
of the Handley Fund, now amounting to about 
1gol. a year, there are no funds available for 
continuing the work after the end of this year. 
The whole of the tenth annual issue of the 
International Catalogue of Scientific Literature 
has been published, with the exception of the 
volumes of physiology and bacteriology. A meet- — 
ing of the International Council will be held in fe 
1914. At this meeting the question of continuing 
the Catalogue beyond the first fifteen issues will — 
be taken into consideration. . 
In the course of the year the treasurer received — 
from the executors of the late Lord Lister, 
securities and cash to the value of 8995]. gs. 10d., — 
on account of a legacy left by Lord Lister to the 
society for its general purposes. > 
The financial position of the National Physiaatie 
Laboratory has been a cause of anxiety to the 
Council. In consequence mainly of the strikes — 
and general disturbance of trade at the begine & 
ning of 1912, the receipts for the year were less” 
than the expenditure, and but for a considerable 
revival at the end of the year would have been 
much less. The responsibility for any deficit rests — 
with the society; and the council, while ready to 
advance by all means in its power the national 
work of the Laboratory, considers that the society — 
should be freed from this serious liability. It is — 
in communication with the Treasury on the : 
question. Much valuable work is at a standstill — 
for want of funds. 
In his presidential address, Sir Archibald Geikie 
referred to some of the subjects in the report — 
presented by the council, and particularly to the — 
national activities of the society and the inade- i 
quacy of the financial provision necessary for the — 
carrying out of important work. He pointed out 
that five years ago at the request of the Home — 
Office the council appointed a committee to in- 
vestigate the physical and physiological a 
presented by the disease known as glassworkers’ 
cataract. In proposing this inquiry, the Home — 
Office made no provision for the cost of the 
numerous experiments and examinations that — 
obviously would be required, while the Royal q 
Society has no funds at its disposal for meeting 
