846 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. II. No. 51. 



From the last, number of the Vierteljahrsschrift 

 der Astronomischen Gesellschaft we learn that 

 during the year 1894, 46 plates, containing 11,- 

 750 stars, have been measured at the Potsdam 

 Observatory. At Paris, where measurements 

 have been going on for two years, the number 

 of star positions obtained is as follows, accord- 

 ing to the reports of M. Tisserand, Director of 

 the Paris Observatory: 



In 1898, 27,750 stars, from 72 plates. 



In 1894, 32,898 stars, from 120 plates. 



One of the most extensive least square solu- 

 tions ever made has recently been published by 

 Prof. Schur, of Gottingen. The heliometric 

 triaugulation of the stars in the cluster Prsesepe 

 gave rise to a series of 74 normal equations, in- 

 volving 74 unknown quantities. The solution 

 of this set of equations was effected by Prof. 

 Schur in ten weeks, by means of the usual 

 Gaussian method of elimination. Prof. Schur 

 comes to the conclusion that no other method 

 of elimination, such as the method by successive 

 approximation, is to be compared to the Gaus- 

 sian method, even though it might seem to 

 promise a saving of labor in advance. Prof. 

 Schur mentions as the longest least square solu- 

 tion he has been able to find in astronomical 

 literature a geodetic adjustment made by 

 Bseyer, in which a set of normal equations with 

 86 unknowns was successfully solved by the 

 famous computer Dase in three months. 



H. J. 



BIBLIOGRAPHIES OF THE SCIENCES. 



Recent numbers of the Bevue Scientifique 

 (Nov. 9, 16 and 23) contain important articles 

 in regard to action taken by the scientific con- 

 gresses on bibliography. A recommendation 

 adopted by the French Association, the Berne 

 Physiological Congress and the Brussels Biblio- • 

 graphical Conference proposes that the most 

 significant word in the title of a scientific paper 

 be indicated by a line printed under it and ex- 

 tending the whole length of the word, and that 

 subdivisions of the subject treated be indicated 

 by words in the title with lines printed under- 

 neath one-half the length of the word. 



The International Bibliographical Conference, 

 held in Brussels during September, has estab- 

 sh ed an Office intcrnationale de bibliographie at 



Brussels, and has requested the Belgian gov- 

 ernment to take the initiative in securing the 

 cooperation of other governments in the support 

 of an international bureau. The conference 

 recommended without hesitation a decimal 

 sj'Stem of classification, and after some dis- 

 cussion the adoption of the Dewey system in its 

 present form. The Physiological Congress, how- 

 ever, decided that careful consideration would 

 be necessary before a system of classification 

 could be finally adopted, and a committee was 

 appointed, with instructions to report at the 

 next Congress, consisting of Profs. Bowditch, 

 Foster, Krouecker, Mosso and Richet. 



It is to be feared that undei-lining the signi- 

 ficant words in a title will cause difficulties to 

 authors, editors and printers. When a title is 

 properly chosen all the leading words should be 

 significant and are likely to be nearly equally 

 so. If a decimal classification of the sciences 

 could be agreed upon, the object desired could 

 be secured by requesting the author to indicate 

 after the title what he regards as the proper 

 classification of his article. 



THE ANNIVERSARY MEETING OF THE ROYAL 

 SOCIETY. 



At the Anniversary Meeting on November 

 30th, at Burlington House, the reports of the 

 officers of the Society were presented and the 

 following officers were elected for the ensuing 

 year: 



President, Sir Joseph Lister; Treasurer, Sir 

 John Evans ; Secretaries, Prof. Michael Foster, 

 M. D., and Lord Rayleigh; Foreign Secre- 

 tary, Dr. Edward Frankland ; other members 

 of the Council, Mr. William Crookes, Sir 

 Joseph Fayrer, Mr. Lazarus Fletcher, Dr. W. 

 H. Gaskell, Dr. W. Huggins, Lord Kelvin, 

 Prof. Alexander B. W. Kennedy, Prof. Horace 

 Lamb, Prof. E. R. Lankester, Prof Charles 

 Lapworth, Major P. A. MacMahon, R. A., 

 Prof. J. H. Poyntiug, Prof. A. W. Riicker, Mr. 

 Osbert Salvin, Prof H. M. Ward and Admiral 

 W. J. Lloyd Wharton. 



The Copley Medal was awarded to Dr. Karl 

 Weierstrass, distinguished for investigations in 

 pure mathematics extending over a period of 

 fifty years. A Royal Medal was awarded to 

 Dr. John Murray for his editorship of the report 



