THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 77 



A younger and more vigorous science has sprung up, walking with 

 hurried or halting footsteps along paths far removed from the staid 

 courses of its predecessor. The new science concerns itself with the 

 nature of the heavenly bodies, the old one regarded exclusively their 

 movements. This younger science enquires what sun, moon, stars 

 and nebulae are made of, what stores of heat they possess, what 

 changes are in progress, what vicissitudes they have undergone, or 

 are likely to undergo. The elder study attained its object when the 

 theory of celestial motions showed no discrepancy with fact, when the 

 courses of the heavens came directly up to time, and their observed 

 places agreed to a finitesimal point with their predicted places. 

 Very different modes of observation must now be employed to further 

 such different objects ; in fact the invention of novel modes of inves- 

 tigation has had a prime share in bringing about the change in 

 question, and investigations carried out at higher altitudes than have 

 hitherto been more than temporarily available are now going on in 

 permanent observatories. The great Lick Observatory, of California, • 

 founded through the princely generosity of one man, whose name 

 will live in the annals of liberality forever, James Lick, will soon add 

 to the marvels of knowledge most astounding facts, if we are to give 

 credence to what the observers have already unofficially announced. 

 Located on one of the peaks of the coast range, 4440 feet above the 

 sea, the atmosphere in summer is cloudless, and even during the 

 winter there are many nights favorable for observation. Out of sixty 

 nights tested, prior to the site being fixed upon as to the quality of 

 telescopic vision there. Professor Newcomb found fourty-two as nearly 

 perfect as possible, seven of a medium quality, and only eleven cloudy 

 or misty, and his season of observation extended over the first half 

 of October. With the ordinary telescope he then used he discov- 

 ered forty-two new double stars, many of them not having been seen 

 before clearly enough for the discernment of their composite character. 

 But the present needs of science are by no means filled by an alti- 

 tude of of 4000 and odd feet. Already observing stations are recom- 

 mended at four times that altitude, and the ambition of the coming 

 astronomer will be satisfied only when he reaches that altitude where 

 he can no longer find wherewith to inflate his lungs. Such are the 

 growing exigences of celestial observation. Europe has not remained 

 behind America in this significant movement. An observatory was 



