552 Proceedings of the British Association. 



The President briefly pointed out to the Section the vast importance 

 of the reduction of this valuable catalogue of stars given by Lalande, 

 and the almost worthlessness of the catalogue without that reduction. 



1 Report of the Committee on the British Association Catalogue of 

 Stars.' 



I have the honor to report on the subject of this catalogue, that 

 the calculations of the places of the stars, with the annual precessions, 

 secular variations, and proper motions, together with the logarithms of 

 the requisite constants, are completed for nearly 8,300 stars, which 

 is about the number originally contemplated : that the same are fairly 

 copied out for the press : and that the construction of the table of syno- 

 nyms is now in progress, two-thirds of which are already completed : 

 that the whole of the sum granted at the last meeting of the Asso- 

 ciation has been expended, and that a further sum of 25/. will be 

 required for the completion of some of the above stars in peculiar 

 portions, and for the final completion of the synonyms : that the above 

 sum of 25/. is all that will be wanting in future, as Mr. Farley (the 

 principal computer and superintendent) has undertaken to complete the 

 work, ready for the press, without any further remuneration, and 

 which will be ready for delivery in a few weeks. Under these circum- 

 stances, I have caused an estimate to be made of the expense of print- 

 ing the same : and I find, that the cost of paper and printing 500 copies 

 in quarto, will be about 550/., but that 1000 copies will cost 150/. more. 

 It will be requisite, however, to employ some one to correct the press, 

 and to superintend the arrangement of the work, which will add to the 

 expense here mentioned. A pretty large preface will be requisite, 

 explanatory of the mode adopted in bringing up the several stars to the 

 given epoch, and of various circumstances connected with the investiga- 

 tion, as well as descriptive of the method of using the catalogue in 

 its present form. But on these points I am willing to render any 

 assistance in my power. 



Francis Baily. 



1 Report of the Committee for the Reduction of Lacaille's Stars.' 



Collingwood, June 3, 1842. 



A Committee having been appointed, consisting of myself, Mr. Hen- 

 derson, and Mr. Airy, for the purpose of effecting the reduction of 

 Lacaille's stars, 1 have the pleasure to report, that under the superin- 

 tendence of Mr. Henderson, the whole of that work is now completed, 

 and the resulting catalogue, being arranged in order of right ascension, 



