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SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XII. No. 288. 



bora, just as there are very few good artists 

 and good poets. Some of the best known 

 and ablest scholars of the world have been 

 those who have made substantial advances 

 in celestial mechanics. I do not see why 

 such men should not be supported and en- 

 couraged by the colleges as well as those 

 who study Hebrew, for instance. The 

 working out and discussion of the laws 

 which govern our universe gives strength 

 to a natural theology much more than does 

 the study of Hebrew. 



For extended instruction in practical as- 

 tronomy and observatory work opportuni- 

 ties are now offered at a number of places 

 in this country. Not many years ago it 

 was difficult to obtain it. It was given 

 regularly only at one or two places, and oc- 

 casionally as a sort of personal favor by a 

 working astronomer. Some twenty years 

 back most of such teaching was done by 

 Professor Stone, now of the University of 

 Virginia. I think it is hardly understood 

 how much he did in this direction, and how 

 many men were once students with him 

 who are now active in the science or have 

 influential positions in the educational 

 world. 



The best equipped observatory for teach- 

 ing purposes that I know of is at Princeton, 

 built, I believe, under the direction of Pro- 

 fessor Young. A number of other colleges 

 have observatories, keep them up well, and 

 offer good courses of instruction, both ele- 

 mentary and graduate. In the large astro- 

 nomical establishments there is a tendency 

 sometimes towards the factory system, 

 which is to be regretted. But where the 

 question is of obtaining the greatest amount 

 of work from a given income, something of 

 the kind may be unavoidable, though when 

 carried too far it tends toward the extinc- 

 tion rather than the extension of research. 

 I have been told that after he became an 

 old man Sir George Airy regretted that he 

 had introduced such a system at Greenwich. 



However, at almost all the college obser- 

 vatories that I know of some attention is 

 given to students. It is recognized that it 

 is just as important to train men as to 

 carry on investigations, the German view, 

 and probably the result of so many of our 

 young men going to Germany to study. 



With regard to the part that government 

 institutions ought to take in training stu- 

 dents and the encouragement of original 

 research, it is difiicult to make a criticism. 

 They are often engaged on pieces of heavy 

 work, extending over long intervals of 

 time which private establishments cannot 

 undertake. It may be somewhat necessary 

 to have this done in a routine way, without 

 such regard to whether the computer or as- 

 sistant is benefited or is making any prog- 

 ress in scholarship. The Naval Observa- 

 tory is required, for instance, to keep up 

 observations of the sun, moon and planets. 

 However, some arrangement might be made 

 to change assistants about and give them 

 experience in every kind of investigation 

 that is being carried on at any institution. 

 It might be wise to appoint men on veiy 

 small salaries at first, and allow them half 

 their time for studj'. 



It is interesting to look over the names 

 of the men connected with the American 

 Ephemeris in the early years of its history. 

 I find Davis, Benjamin Peirce, Gould, 

 Newcomb, Hill, Van Vleck, Eunkle, Ferrel, 

 and others who became well known in 

 science. I have not had an opportunity to 

 find out how the office was managed. 



I have made some examination of the 

 theses in practical astronomy produced in 

 this country, and have attempted to com- 

 pare them with those presented in Germany 

 and France. On the whole I think we 

 make a creditable showing. Perhaps our 

 instruction is not so thorough and pains- 

 taking as that given abroad. There may 

 be with us a tendency to be satisfied with 

 making observations merely, without dis- 



