SCIENTIFIC SUMMAKY. 
201 
far inferior to Possession Island in all respects, is the only southern station 
where Halley’s method will he applied under moderately favourable condi- 
tions. 
The other mistake made by the Astronomer Royal — that of overlooking 
the value of stations in North India for observing the ‘^retarded egress” of 
Venus — has been partially corrected, and a photographic party will be estab- 
lished at some North Indian Station. 
It cannot be too often repeated that the investigation applied by the 
Astronomer Royal to the conditions of this most important problem was 
utterly inadequate. 
Report of Council of the Royal Astronomical Society . — It is rumoured 
that the plain (though surely not uncourteous) way in which the defects in 
the Astronomer Royal’s papers have been pointed out has given offence, and 
that in consequence an effort has been made to eject from office one of the 
honorary secretaries of the Royal Astronomical Society and several 
members of the Council. We are persuaded these rumours are wholly 
unfounded; and that the Astronomer Royal, though he may object to be 
corrected, is unable to become a party to any underhand proceedings. The 
real circumstance, in fact, which has led to recent secessions from the Council 
of the Astronomical Society, is of quite a different complexion, and it is per- 
fectly well known that neither the Astronomer Royal nor a single eminent 
member of the Council had any sympathy with the scheme of the seceders. 
The following passage from the Report of Council (p. 189) sufficiently 
indicates the real state of the case : — 
After long and careful consideration of this subject, extending over 
four meetings, two of which were specially convened for the purpose, and 
including the discussion of points importantly affecting as well the interests 
of science as the dignity of this Society, your Council by a large majority 
passed the following resolutions on the 5th of July, 1872 : — 
“ ‘ 1. That the President be authorised, on behalf of the Council and 
Fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society, to bring before the Royal 
Commissioners on Scientific Instruction and on the Advancement of Science, 
now sitting, the importance of further aid being afforded to the cultivation 
of the Physics of Astronomy. 
‘ 2. They think such aid would be most effectually given by increased 
assistance, where needed, to existing public observatories, in the direction 
recommended by the heads of those observatories, especially that at the 
Cape of Good Hope, and by the establishment of a new observatory on the 
Highlands of India, or in some other part of the British dominions where 
the climate is favourable for the use of large instruments. 
‘ 3. The Council do not recommend the establishment of an independent 
Government Observatory for the cultivation of Astronomical Physics in 
England, especially as they have been informed that the Board of Visitors 
of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, at their recent meeting, recom- 
mended the taking of photographic and spectroscopic records of the Sun at 
that observatory.’ ” 
It is known that resolutions 2 and 3 were substituted for a resolution 
proposed by Col. Strange, and seconded by Mr. Be La Rue, to the effect that 
an independent Government Observatory should be established. Manifestly 
