284 Proceedings of the British Association. 



The catalogues of Lacaille and Lalande are to be printed and publish- 

 ed, as is already known to you, at the expense of Her Majesty's 

 Government ; and the first, which has been prepared under the 

 superintendence of Prof. Henderson, is nearly complete. The cata- 

 logue of Lalande and the British Association catalogue, were placed 

 under the superintendence of Mr. Francis Baily ; and in referring to 

 the irreparable loss, which astronomical science has so recently sus- 

 tained by his death, I should neither do justice to my own feelings nor 

 to yours, if I did not detain you for a few moments. 



Mr. Baily was, undoubtedly, one of the most remarkable men 

 of his time. It was only in 1825, that he retired from the Stock 

 Exchange, with an ample fortune, and with a high character for 

 integrity and liberality ; but his subsequent career almost entirely 

 belongs to astronomy, and is one of almost unexampled activity and 

 usefulness. The Astronomical Society was organized by him, and 

 throughout life he was the most considerable contributor to its Me- 

 moirs. The catalogue of the Astronomical Society, the funds for 

 which were contributed by several of its members, was entirely 

 formed under his superintendence, and we are chiefly indebted to his 

 exertions for the more ample development which the Nautical 

 Almanac has latterly received, and which has added so much to 

 its usefulness. There was no experimental research connected with 

 the more accurate determinations of astronomy or physical science, 

 which was not generally intrusted to his care : the publication of the 

 Pendulum Observations of Capt. Foster, which were confided to him 

 by the Admiralty, gave occasion to the most complete series of 

 pendulum experiments which had ever been made, in which many 

 most important defects of those instruments were first brought to 

 light : he undertook the repetition of the celebrated experiment of 

 Mr. Cavendish, and his discussion of the whole question, which forms 

 a recent volume of ' The Memoirs of the Astronomical Society,' is a 

 monument not less honourable to his patience, perseverance, and skill, 

 than to the sagacity and accuracy of the great philosopher who first 

 devised it. He had also undertaken, for the Commission of Weights 

 and Measures, the conduct of the process for forming the new 

 standard yard from the scale of the Astronomical Society, which he 

 had himself compared with the imperial standard yard, destroyed in 



