Decembek 6, 1901.] 



SCIENCE. 



811 



recognition during his life in the bestowal 

 of degrees by higher institutions of learning; 

 in election to membership in nearly all 

 scientific societies worthy of note in Europe 

 and America ; in being made the recipient 

 of medals of honor awarded by these socie- 

 ties, and in the generously expressed words 

 of his distinguished contemporaries. It will 

 be many years, however, before full measure 

 can be had of his influence in promoting 

 the interests of physical science, for with 

 his own brilliant career, sufiicient of itself 

 to excite our profound admiration, must be 

 considered that of a host of other younger 

 men who lighted their torches at his flame 

 and who will reflect honor upon him whose 

 loss they now mourn, by passing on some- 

 thing of his unquenchable enthusiasm, 

 something of his high regard for pure intel- 

 lectuality, something of his love of truth 

 and his sweetness of character and disposi- 

 tion. 



T. C. Mendenhall. 



REPORT OF THE BOARD OF VISITORS TO 



THE NA VA L OBSER VA TOR Y FOR 



THE YEAR 1901. 



In pursuance to a call issued by the Sec- 

 retary of the Navy, a meeting of the Board 

 of Visitors to the Naval Observatory was 

 held in Washington, beginning April 9, 

 1901. The Board was organized by the 

 selection of Charles A. Young as chairman 

 and Ormond Stone as secretary. Another 

 meeting was held in Washington, beginning 

 October 29, 1901. At both of these meet- 

 ings, and afterwards by correspondence, as 

 careful an examination as time permitted 

 was made, directly and by committee, of 

 the condition and needs of the Observatory, 

 and of such other matters as are referred to 

 in the law creating the Board. In this ex- 

 amination the Board was greatly aided by 

 conferences with the Secretary of the Navy, 

 the Superintendent and staflf of the Naval 

 Observatory, officers of the Civil Service 



Commission, and others, all of whom have 

 given the Board their most cheerful assist- 

 ance. As a result of the deliberations of 

 the Board the following recommendations 

 are respectfully offered for consideration : 



ASTRONOMICAL DIRECTOR. 



It is recommended that no astronomical 

 director be appointed at present, as a dual 

 headship has been found to work unsatis- 

 factorily, and under the existing law the 

 appointment of an astronomer as sole 

 director of the Observatory — which the 

 Board considers the proper solution of the 

 question — is impracticable. 



METHOD OF FILLING VACANCIES. 



Vacancies should not be filled among 

 assistant astronomers nor among profess- 

 ors of mathematics in the Navy without 

 examination for each vacancy occurring. 

 For example, the results of a given exami- 

 nation should not be used for filling a sub- 

 sequent vacancy, except in so far as such 

 results may properly form a part of a new 

 independent examination. No distinction 

 should be made between employees of the 

 Observatory and other applicants. Em- 

 ployees should, however, of course, be at 

 liberty to present evidence of experience or 

 capacity as shown by their work at the 

 Observatory in the same manner as other 

 candidates ' present similar evidence as 

 shown by their work elsewhere. The re- 

 sponsibilities of the positions of assistant 

 astronomer and professor of mathematics 

 are distinctly different from those of a com- 

 puter, although much of the required 

 experience may properly be gained in 

 connection with the latter position and be 

 credited in the examinations for the higher 

 positions. At the same time it is impor- 

 tant that the positions of computer should 

 be filled by persons whose prime interest is 

 in practical and theoretical astronomy and 

 whose ambition it will be to occupy higher 

 positions in the Observatory. As far as is 



