Anniversary Address. 17 



A question lias arisen about the distance of the sun from the 

 earth ; and it has been found that the hitherto assumed measure- 

 ment is incorrect. Professor Airey admits that that distance is 

 too great by more than 3,000,000 miles ; and Sir J. Herschel 

 that the error is equal to 1 in 31. At a meeting last year of the 

 Royal Geographical Society, the subject was discussed, and the 

 speakers there and then agreed with the Astronomers that 

 the proper way is to wait for the next Transits of Venus, which 

 will be in 1874 and 1882, the present distance having been calcu- 

 lated from the transits of the same planet in 1761 and 1769. 

 Airey has distinctly shown the uselessness of all other methods. 



An ingenious writer in this city (not I believe a member of our 

 society) having made several attempts to bring before you a 

 method proposed by him to measure this distance, those members 

 of the Council who are most familiar with such 

 subjects, and to whom it was referred, recommended that the 

 papers should not be received, simply because the method pro- 

 posed was {impossible, though if possible, it was good. They did 

 not, therefore, see any object in. discussing as a strict means of 

 measurement that which could not be possibly ascertained. I 

 deem it my duty to say this, because I am quite sure the Council 

 have never acted except for the general benefit, and the Society 

 which has at least three good astronomers might be made respon- 

 sible in the opinions of astronomers abroad, for giving the sanc- 

 tion of their consideration to that which the most eminent among 

 them had already proclaimed useless and impossible. For myself, I can 

 say, that I should be sorry that any discourtesy should be exhib- 

 ited by any of us ; but having been appealed to as a sort of referee 

 on the question, I can only call attention to the third Bye-law of 

 our Society which leaves the expediency of receiving any paper 

 offered for reading and discussion, altogether in the hands of the 

 Council. 



Attention has been called to the remarkable displays of falling 

 stars, which are now ascertained to be annual and periodical. 

 These were first noticed by Humboldt in Cumana, in 1799, and 

 since in Europe as well as in America at various times from the 

 year 1832. 



In 1833 and up to 1835 I was engaged in correlating terrertrial 

 and meteorological phenomena, and gave a published opinion, 

 D 



