202 
aiding astronomers of all countries in their 
work. Miss Bruce, in 1890, besides her 
numerous other gifts to astronomy, gave 
the sum of $6,000 to be distributed in this 
way. The 15 donations are described in a 
circular issued in 1891. Many investiga- 
tions require such large sums of money 
that they could not be provided for by 
such funds as these. On the other hand, a 
small sum judiciously expended sometimes 
leads to much larger gifts, and may furnish 
an observer with an instrument, an assist- 
ant, or means for publication. A small 
gift may thus render available, resources 
of vastly greater value which would other- 
wise lead tono useful result. For instance, 
the writer in 1882 received an appropriation 
of $500 from the Rumford fund, for an in- 
vestigation in astronomical photography. 
Presenting the results of this work to the 
trustees of the Bache fund, he received an ap- 
propriation of $3,000, with which an 8-inch 
photographic telescope was constructed. 
Twenty-six thousand photographs have 
since been taken with this instrument which 
for many years has been used throughout 
every clear night at the Arequipa Station 
of the Harvard College Observatory. The 
early results were presented to Mrs. Henry 
Draper, who accordingly had a similar 
8-inch telescope constructed. This instru- 
ment is used here throughout every clear 
night, on the northern stars, thus supple- 
menting the work of the Bache telescope. 
With this instrument, also, 26,000 photo- 
graphs have been obtained. The early 
results of the Henry Draper Memorial led 
to the transfer of the Boyden fund, exceed- 
ing $200,009, to the Harvard College Obser- 
vatory, and also to the gift of $50,000 by 
Miss C. W. Bruce, with which a 24-inch 
_ telescope, now successfully at work in Are- 
quipa, was constructed. The results at- 
tained by each gift thus helped to secure 
the next. Again, an appropriation of $500 
from the Rumford fund, in 1899, enabled 
SCIENCE. 
[N. S. Vou. XIII. No. 319. 
the Directors of the Yerkes, Lick, McCor- 
mick and Harvard observatories to coop- 
erate, so that telescopes of 40, 36, 26, 15, 
and 12 inches aperture are now being used 
in the same research on the light of very 
faint stars. The value of the plant utilized 
in this research exceeds a million dollars. 
It is hoped that similar cooperation can be 
secured in continuous observations of the 
variable stars of long period. In many 
eases an award of a small sum to an 
observatory will assure its friends of the 
value of the work and thus encourage them 
to contribute liberally. It is believed by 
the writer that the real difficulty lies in 
the lack of knowledge of what funds are 
available, diffidence in presenting applica- 
tions, and in some eases objection to the 
restrictions under which the grants may be 
made. Could these difficulties be remedied 
by a permanent committee, and if so, how 
should it be appointed? In no country haye 
such sums of money been given to science 
as in the United States ; in fact, the success 
so far attained and our future prospects for 
research depend largely upon such gifts. 
It is believed that in many cases wealthy 
men and women would gladly aid scientific 
investigation if they could be sure that 
their gifts would be judiciously and eco- 
nomically expended. It is, therefore, of the 
greatest importance to all scientific men, not 
only to secure aid for important researches, 
but to prevent, if possible, the unwise or 
wasteful expenditure of such money. The 
writer desires to learn the views of others 
on this matter, either through the columns 
of Scrence, or by personal correspondence. 
Epwarp C. PICKERING. 
CAMBRIDGE, MAss., January 25, 1901. 
RESEARCH WORK FOR PHYSICS TEACHERS.* 
Tux teaching of physics is in itself a de- 
lightful thing, but to be thoroughly enjoyed 
* An abstract of a paper read before the Physics 
Club of New York, December, 1900. 
