490 THIRD REPORT 1833. 



amongst the nearest stars, and the point where it vanished. 

 This is done by an arroiv-line, which marks the apparent di- 

 rection and extent of the course of the meteor. The time is 

 carefully noted ; a number of reference is placed on the line, 

 and the principal circumstances of the meteor are then regi- 

 stered in tables of the following form : 



It is important to remark whether the falling star leaves, or 

 not, any trace of its course, as sometimes happens, in the form 

 of reddish scintillations. The condition of the atmosphere, as 

 determined by the usual instruments, should be noted : the 

 time must be accurately ascertained. More than one observer 

 should be engaged at each station, because the meteors some- 

 times succeed one another very quickly, and the duration of 

 the phaenomenon is too short to permit one person to note the 

 position, time, and circumstances of each, with sufficient pre- 



cision '." 



CONSTANTS OF NATURE AND ART. 



" Amongst those works of science which are too large and 

 too laborious for individual efforts, and are therefore fit objects 

 to be undertaken by united academies, I wish to point out one 

 which seems eminently necessary at the present time, and which 

 would be of the greatest advantage to all classes of the sci- 

 entific world. 



" I would propose that its title should be The Constants of 

 Nature and of Art. It ought to contain all those facts which 

 can be expressed by numbers in the various sciences and arts." 

 (Babbage, Edinburgh Journal of Science, N. S,, No. 12.) 



The following extracts from Mr. Babbage's general plan of 

 contents will exemplify the objects and arrangement of the 

 proposed work. 



These contents should consist of: 



1. All the constant quantities belonging to our system ; — as, 

 distance of each planet, — period of revolution, — inclination of 

 orbit, &c., — proportion of light received from the sun, — force 

 of gravity on the surface of each, &c. 



1 Contemporaneous observations are especially desirable on this subject. 

 Persons desirous of undertaking the investigation are therefore requested to 

 apply to a member of the Auroral Committee, or to the Assistant Secretary 

 at York, for information of the evenings and hours appointed for this purpose. 



