182 



SCIENCE 



[Vol. YI., No. 135. 



blurred ; but turning to Sirius, I found the 

 companion an extremely conspicuous object, 

 — in fact, the note in mj observing-book is to 

 the effect that the companion was " as readily 

 seen as a satellite of Jupiter." So far as I 

 am aware, this is a unique experience of the 

 effect of severe wind upon the optical quality 

 of the atmosphere. 



The location of the observator}^ in a region 

 which is entirely cloudless during the greater 

 part of the year, constitutes an advantage 

 which only those can full}^ appreciate whose 

 work has suffered serious interruption from the 

 lack of a continuously clear sky. Should 

 those permanentl}^ in charge of the obser- 

 vatory' find it desirable to continue observa- 

 tions throughout the period of five months 

 known as the ' rainy season,' it would doubt- 

 less be found that the superior elevation would 

 afford a clear sky throughout one-third to one- 

 half of this period, and simultaneously with 

 clouds and storms at stations lower down. 

 During my own residence on the mountain in 

 the latter part of 1882, and shortly after the 

 beginning of the rain}^ season, this was fre- 

 quently the case ; and on two separate occa- 

 sions we were favored with an uninterruptedly 

 clear sky for more than sevent}^ consecutive 

 hours, being situate on an island in a sea of 

 cloud which obscured ever}' thing beneath the 

 immediate summit. A series of excellent 

 photographs of this cloud-sea was obtained, 

 one of which is well reproduced in the illus- 

 tration on p. 191. Ocean fogs rarely reach 

 the elevation of the observatory. Mr. Burn- 

 ham observed these fogs drifting in from the 

 Pacific nearly every night at about the time of 

 sunset. Their usual altitude was about two 

 thousand feet, and they did not appear to 

 affect the seeing. 



The instrumental equipment of the obser- 

 vator}', although incomplete, is already an un- 

 usual one, and, in its final state, will surpass 

 that of all other observatories. The instru- 

 ments have been designed, constructed, and 

 mounted in the most thorough manner ; and 

 particular care has been taken that all the 

 movable portions of the buildings covering 

 these instruments (alwaj's a source of unend- 

 ing trouble and vexatious delaj- to the astron- 

 omer) shall be so arranged and constructed as 

 to cause a minimum of annoyance and inter- 

 ruption. 



The great advantages arising from the 

 observers' ability to reside near their instru- 

 ments must not be overlooked here. A suit- 

 able dwelling-house for the observers has 

 been provided in the immediate proximity of 



the instruments, so that all the time available 

 for observatory work may be fully utilized. 



The means of publication — a most im- 

 portant consideration in the management of 

 a great observatory — has not escaped due 

 notice. The legislature of California has al- 

 ready shown its entire appreciation of the 

 observatory and its work, by the passage, at 

 its last session, of a joint resolution providing 

 for the issue of such reports, observations, 

 and researches, as may, with the approval of 

 the governor of the state, be submitted by the 

 Lick trustees, or the regents of the university, 

 for publication. 



Finally, and most important of all, there is 

 an assured endowment of generous propor- 

 tions, the income from which is whoUj^ available 

 for the maintenance of the establishment, and 

 the prosecution of its work. The considerate 

 management of the trustees will enable them 

 to complete the observator}' at a cost not much 

 exceeding three-fifths of the entire allotment 

 of Mr. Lick's bequest for this purpose, and 

 the remainder will constitute the permanent 

 endowment-fund of the institution. 



Fortune and necessity, however, do not fail 

 to accompany this unique combination of op- 

 portunities with more or less of disadvantage. 

 The unavoidable obstacles of the undertaking 

 have been great, but they have also been sur- 

 mounted. But the necessar}' expense of main- 

 taining so large an establishment at so elevated 

 a station, the cost of living, the social isola- 

 tion of the astronomers, amounting to practical 

 exile for months at a time when series of 

 observations requiring uninterrupted attention 

 are in hand, — ^^ these, and other obvious con- 

 siderations, must be carefully considered by 

 any one who attempts a fair estimate of the 

 work which the Lick observatory^ is destined 

 to accomplish. While it appears that the in- 

 stitution will be in a strong position to conduct 

 and maintain a good degree of astronomical 

 research with its own resources, there will be 

 abundant field for prudent financiering in the 

 management of its practical affairs. How- 

 ever, when the trustees are ready to resign the 

 control of the observatorj^, the character of its 

 instrumental and other equipment will be such 

 that all increase of its permanent income, 

 derivable from outside sources, will be wholly 

 available for the pursuit of new and interest- 

 ing lines of research. The nature of inves- 

 tigations of this sort enables the astronomer 

 to make successful appeal for the funds neces- 

 sary to carrj' them on ; and the trustees have 

 wisel}' refrained from equipping the observatory 

 with any instruments and apparatus which will 



