440 Professor Elias Loomis. 



Progress of Astronomy, especially in the United States. A 

 first and a second edition were soon exhausted, and in 1856 

 the volume was entirely rewritten and very much enlarged. 

 Some of the topics in these volumes were the subjects of 

 articles communicated from time to time to the public in this 

 Journal, Harper's Magazine, and other periodicals. Another 

 important contribution to astronomy appeared in 1865, that is, 

 his Introduction to Practical Astronomy. Eminent astrono- 

 mers in England and America have expressed in the highest terms 

 their praise of this book. Though it is now thirty-five years since 

 its first appearance, and many treatises on the same subject, 

 some elaborate and some elementary, have since been pub- 

 lished, yet for an introduction to practical work I believe that 

 a student will find this volume better than any other for his 

 uses at the beginning of his course. 



The increase of our knowledge in astronomy was, from first 

 to last, an object of special interest to Professor Loomis. 

 Before he left New York the income from his text-books 

 enabled him to make to Yale College the generous offer of 

 coming to New Haven and working in an observatory at his 

 own charges, provided a suitable observatory should be con- 

 structed and equipped for him. Unfortunately, the college 

 was not able, although it was greatly desirous of doing it, to 

 avail itself of his generous offer. Near the same time he joined 

 with public spirited citizens of New York in an effort to estab- 

 lish an astronomical observatory in or near that city, and for that 

 purpose an act of incorporation was obtained from the New 

 York State Legislature. After coming to New Haven, he 

 always took the warmest interest in the plans of Mr. Win- 

 chester for the establishment of an observatory in connection 

 with Yale University. His counsel and assistance have been 

 instrumental, more than the public could know, in producing 

 and preserving whatever of value has been developed in that 

 observatory. 



The science of Meteorology has, however, been that in 

 which Professor Loomis has made the most important con- 

 tributions to human knowledge. 



Shortly after his graduation in 1830 and before he entered 



