INTRODUCTION 
XVII 
THE COLUMNS OF THE CATALOGUE. 
In order to facilitate a proper and intelligent use of the Catalogue let it now be 
considered systematically in detail. 
The first column on each page gives the current number for reference. There are 
6188 numbers in all. 
ADOPTED NAMES. 
The second column on the left-hand pages contains the adopted names or desig¬ 
nations of the respective stars. This Catalogue makes no claim to erudition, or 
authority, in this respect. At the outset it was decided that the time and labor 
required for a critical and consistent treatment of the constellations could not be 
afforded. Except for a few of the brighter stars, there appears to be no single 
authority or rule of procedure in this respect that is so generally accepted as prac¬ 
tically to require obedience. The practice of meridian-observers, and of others who 
have occasion to make use of star-names, seems to make this clear. Therefore, in 
devising nomenclature for the stars of this Catalogue the author has felt himself 
absolved from any attempt to found a system capable of defense on historic grounds; 
but he has felt free to adopt that which seemed to him most convenient, fitting, and 
simple for his purpose. Yet certain quasi -general principles were kept in mind by 
the author in selecting precise designations for the individual stars. 
It was decided, very naturally, where a star is brighter than 6^0 and has a 
virtually undisputed claim to a Greek letter, unmodified by accent or subscript, 
that this should be adopted. In case of some stars where this qualification could 
not be asserted the Greek letter has still been retained. Of faint stars, the names 
X Ursae Minoris and o Octantis are retained, since many meridian-observers must 
have become well accustomed to the designations. On the other hand, neither the 
name, “y Antliae,” sometimes employed for No. 2764 of this Catalogue, that is of 
7^3 only, nor the name “£ Piscis Australis” for No. 5802, a star of 6^8, seems to 
serve any useful purpose. If the adoption of a Greek letter is to be regarded as 
a distinguishing mark of brightness, such designations of Greek letters for faint 
stars tend to mislead and confuse, since the great majority of stars fainter than 
5^0 and even such stars as L 3910, 2^8, and Br 3062, 3^8, are not designated by 
Greek letters. 
The practice of assigning the same Greek letter to several stars of a constellation, 
relying on added accents or subscripts to distinguish the separate stars, does not 
seem very convenient and has been carried rather far in some instances. Thus 
the Greek letter r is attached to nine bright stars in Eridanus, the letter r// ten 
times in Auriga; and there are many instances where the same letter is employed 
more than twice to designate stars in a given constellation. There already exists 
a tendency in such instances to discard the subscripts or accents and to reserve 
the use of the letter to the brighter star, especially if this is decidedly above the sixth 
magnitude. This tendency has been obeyed in the present work, where precedents 
