35^ 



NA TURE 



[September 9, 1922 



to quantitative work the pupil is made the slave of the 

 machine, and appliances have become encumbrances 

 to the development of the human spirit. In addition 

 to subjects studied experimentally, there should be 

 general science courses covering a wide field. Geo- 



graphj can be made the unifying principle of such 

 instruction. Practically all the subjects of a broad 

 course of general science are of geographical significance, 

 inasmuch as they are concerned with the earth as man's 

 dwelling-place, and are the scene of his activities. 



The Royal Observatory, Greenwich. 



HPHE Royal Observatory is situated in Greenwich 

 i- Park on the edge of a scarp overlooking the 

 Thames. The ground descends sharply to the north 

 and west. On the east (running diagonally across the 

 photograph) is a level avenue leading southwards to 



especially with the view of their utilising predicted 

 positions of the moon among the stars for the determina- 

 tion of longitude at sea. Some of the instruments 

 employed by Flamsteed were in this room, but others 

 were in the open. Under the octagon room are four 



THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY, GREENWICH. 



= ASTROGKAPHIC EQUATORIAL. C=I'Hi.| 



F = 28. inch Equatorial. G = Altai 



I = . Magnetic and Meteokolocical Insti 



Blackheath. This is joined at an acute angle a little 

 south of the observatory by the avenue from Greenwich, 

 which rises at moderate gradient to the level of the 

 plateau. 



The observatory was founded by Charles II. and 

 designed by Wren. The original building. A. is shown 

 surmounted by the time-ball at the north-east corner 

 and anemometers on the north-west and south. The 

 octagon room, so called from its shape, contained in 

 this building was the observatory of Flamsteed, who 

 was commissioned to make observations of the sun, 

 moon, and planets for the assistance of navigators, 



XO. 275S, VOL. I JO] 



small rooms where Flamsteed lived. In Maskelyne's 



and Airv's time additions were made to the house by 

 buildings to the south and west ; the part of the 

 Astronomer Royal's official residence looking over the 

 western edge of the scarp is shown prominently in 

 the picture. 



To the south of the octagon room are shown two 

 small domes. The first of them, B, covers the astro- 

 graphic equatorial, a photographic telescope which 

 was erected by Sir William Christie, and has done good 

 service in the photographic mapping of the heavens, 

 the determination of the solar parallax from observa- 



