88 REAL OR SUPPOSED CHANGES OF LATITUDE. 
‘‘The question is certainly a doubtful one; but it is 
considered of so much importance that at a meeting of 
the Geodetic Society of Rome in 1883, a resolution was 
adopted recommending observations specially to settle 
lite 
The above is from Nature, Vol. 30, page 502. 
In the same journal, page 512, Mr. W. M. Flinders 
Petrie says: Only last year in the ‘*‘ Pyramids and 
Temples of Gizeh,’’ I had noted (page 126) that the 
Greenwich observations did appear to show a change of 
the same amount and direction as stated by Prof. 
Young for Pulkowa. 
Again, also in Nature, page 536, Mr. W. H. M. Christie 
says that there has been no sensible change of latitude 
at Greenwich (as found by observations of circumpolar 
stars) during the last forty-seven years. 
He gives the result for the co-lat. for three periods of 
years : 
1836-49 (14 {years),mean co-lat. 38° 381’ 21.85.’ 
1851-65 (14 years) ne ss 38° Bi images 
1866-83 (16 years) os na 38° Sl aieeane 
This would seem tosettle the question that for these 44 
years there had been no sensible change, the first and last 
being absolutely identical while the other group differ 
but 72, of a second, an amount too small to be regarded 
at least at present. 
But Mr. Petrie in the same vol. page 561, returns to 
the attack, and says: ‘‘It was from diagrams in Mr. 
Christie’s paper that I drew the conclusions of a decrease 
of latitude.’ Mr. Petrie states that he drew his conclu- 
sions from Polaris alone, thinking that safer than stars 
-having N. Polar declination since it is less affected by 
refraction. 
He thinks it would be very remarkable if the great 
oceanic circulation should have a mean axis of motion so 
nearly coincident with that of the earth as not to pro- 
38 
