Letter of Dr. B. A. Gould. 353 
Art. XXX VIII.—ZLetter of Dr. B. A. GouLp, Director of the 
Cordoba Observatory, to the Editors, dated Cordoba, Aug. 5, 1873. 
My last letter to you was written in the beginning of Sept., 
1872, at which time I gave you some account of the progress 
of the Uranometry, and of the preparations which were then 
going on for the commencement of the long deferred work of 
the zone observations. 
Since that date I have been so overwhelmed with labors of 
various sorts, that I have scarcely been able to secure the need- 
ful hours for physical repose, while various superadded cares, — 
almost inseparable, I suppose, from an undertaking of such 
magnitude,—have scarcely left me the quiet for ordinary affairs 
of routine, and have rendered letter-writing altogether out of 
the question. Yet I have greatly desired to send you some 
brief account of the progress of the work, and now avail myself 
of the earliest good opportunity. 
Work at the Cordoba Observatory. 
The observations for the Uranometry were essentially com- 
pleted early in the present year, nothing remaining to be done 
except the examination of discordances and the scrutiny of doubt- 
uleases. The observations for these purposes have been carried 
on by Mr. Thome, in such intervals as the absorbing duties of 
the zone-observations permitted, and nothing now remains to 
be accomplished except the reductions of the star-places to the 
mean equinox of 1875-0, the actual preparation of the charts, 
and the careful delineation of the Milky Way. These represent 
a large amount of labor, although small in comparison with the | 
work of observation and identification already wag ae 
- Davis nearly completed the drawings of the Milky Way, 
upon his first series of maps, before he left us in March last; 
and T hope that before long the remainder may be disposed of. 
ance that could reasonably be expected between the results 
obtained by the different ob 3 
— yet to be undertaken will be the thorough and system- 
d © comparison of the results of the four observers, and the 
et nination for each one of his aiegee error for a single 
The begin the preparation of the Uranometry for publication. 
Tentudes thus determined for stars not to be included in the 
levy dai i ich I hope to 
Construct bi be available for the catalogue, which pe 
Am, 
