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SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XX. No. 505. 



ture, and that Harvard should act as 

 trustee of this fund, on the ground of its 

 security, permanency and success as an 

 investor, and since the desire to aid astron- 

 omers throughout the world has not been 

 made a part of the policy of observatories 

 elsewhere. 



A circular of inquiry was then printed 

 and sent to all the members of the Astro- 

 nomisches Gesellschaft, of the American 

 Astrophysical Society, to aboixt two hun- 

 dred members of the Royal Astronomical 

 Society and to a few others. It is believed 

 that few astronomers widely interested in 

 the progress of science, and whose opinion 

 would be of much value, were thus omitted. 

 The replies to this circular were very in- 

 structive and valuable, and I take this 

 occasion to thank my friends for the trouble 

 they have taken in the matter. 



The following five questions were con- 

 tained in the circular: 



1. How do you think money could be 

 spent most advantageously on astronomy 

 at the present time? 



2. Can you recommend any definite plan, 

 in form for presentation to a possible 

 donor ? 



3. In what way could money be most 

 usefully expended at your observatory, or 

 under your direction? 



4. Can you give (not for publication) 

 the names and addresses of any persons 

 who are interested in your observatory, and 

 who are able and might be willing to aid 

 it, if the matter were properly presented to 

 them? 



5. What improvements do you suggest in 

 the plan proposed for the endowment of 

 astronomical research ? 



A discussion of the replies to questions 

 Nos. 1, 2 and 3 would be given here, but it 

 is believed that the writers wovild prefer a 

 postponement of such action, until the es- 

 tablishment of a fund would enable a part 



at least of the proposed work to be under- 

 taken. 



Qiiestion No. 2 should have followed No. 

 3, as it was intended to refer to either No. 

 1 or 3. It was hoped that plans would be 

 sent which could be enclosed in the letters 

 pi-oposed below, in discussing No. 4. If a 

 large sum of money were already available, 

 many definite plans would doubtless have 

 been presented. The answers to No. 2 were 

 in some eases covered by No. 1 or No. 3. 



But few answers were given to question 

 No. 4. I had hoped that an influential 

 advisory committee could render important 

 aid through this question. If the members 

 were satisfied that an astronomer was doing 

 excellent work and needed money for an 

 important investigation, they could call 

 the attention of the friends of his observa- 

 tory to the matter very effectively. In 

 many cases an astronomer would hesitate 

 to do this himself, and the opinion of un- 

 prejudiced experts ought to have a weight 

 that would not attach to the views of the 

 individual concerned. I should be very 

 much gratified if astronomers considered 

 the work of the Harvard Observatory so 

 important that they would take such action 

 regarding the additional work I wish to 

 undertake. 



An excellent suggestion in reply to ques- 

 tion No. 5 was made by Mr. A. R. Hinks, 

 of the Cambridge Observatory, England. 

 He recommended the publication of pro- 

 posed forms of investigation, in order to 

 secure the criticism of astronomers before, 

 instead of after, it is too late to alter them. 

 This seems to be especially important in 

 the case of large pieces of routine work. 



Few improvements or criticisms of the 

 plan were suggested by foreign astronomers. 

 One or two advised that the committee 

 should be international, but probably the 

 general feeling was that, as it was hoped to 

 collect the funds in the United States, it 



