Vou. I[V.] 
<onfequence, the change of feafons there 
muft be very confiderable. He is of opi- 
nion that Mr. Herchell has given Venus 
- too large a diameter, when he calculates 
it at eighteen feconds eight. He com- 
putes it only at fixteen feconds £, as ftated 
by myfelf and by M. de Zach in his Ber- 
lin Ephemeris. 
M. Schaubach has publifhed the Ca- 
tafterifms of Eratofthenes, in Greek and 
Latin. M. Amma has publifhed a feries 
of Onerations, relative tothe Topography 
of Swabia. M. Wuarms is engaged in 
comparing the Tables of Logarithms, by 
Didot, by which means we fhall in future 
be furnifhed with a table totally exempt 
from error, “as M. Wurms’s correétions 
are made upon the plates themfelves, 
which have been preferved. 
M. Woltman, of Cuxhaven, has made 
feveral curious obfervations and experi- 
ments on Terrefirial Refraétions. He has 
tranfmitted a memoir on this fubjeét to 
the Goettingen Academy. 
M. Hornemann, an Hanoverian, has 
been fixed upon for exploring the inte- 
rior of Africa, This gentleman is emi- 
nently verfed in the Oriental languages, 
is a proficient in the art of phyfic, and 
underftands likewife feveral branches of 
mechanics.. He is an indefatigable pe-> 
deftrian, robuft, daring, and vaffionately 
in love with travelling. Major de Zach 
has offered to enable him to make aftro- 
nomical and geographical obfervations, 
which promifes to render the refult of 
his expedition highly interefting and im- 
portant. 
M. Hennert has obtained the prize of 
the academy of Peterfburgh, for his Me- 
moir on the Perturbations of the diurnal 
Motion of the Earth. The refult of his 
obfervations, which will appear in print, 
proves, that there are fome inequalities 
in the earth’s-rotation ; but that thefe are 
modified in fuch a manner, that it may 
be confidered as uniform. 
The Ephemeris of Milan, .for 1795, 
gives us a theory of the perturbations of 
Mercury, by Mr. Oriani, together with 
fome excellent obfervations relative to 
this planet, by M. de Cocaris. 
On the conqueft of the Milanefe by 
the French troops, feveral French acade- 
micians were deputed to colleét all ob- 
jects ufeful to the {ciences and arts. But 
the obfervatories of Orianide Cefaris, and 
Reggio,have been refpeéted, and thefe in- 
genious aftronomers were emphatically 
recommended to the notice and protec- 
tion of the French General, Buonaparte. 
Laland’s Hiftory of Aftronomy. ’ 
545 
At Verona, M. Cagnoli is engaged 
in an LTtalian Tranflation -of Bailli’s 
Aftronom. M. Toaldo, of Padua, has 
tranflated my Abridgment of Aftrono- 
my. 
Count Ignace Bathiani, Bifhop of 
Weiffenburgh, or Alba .Carolina, in 
Tranfylvaciz, has ereéted an obfervas 
tory in that place, under the infpeétion: 
of Martonfy, whe has commenced his 
obfervations. 
It now remains for me to notice the 
lofes which aftronomy has fuftained this 
year, by the death or fequeftration of thole 
who have ‘fuccefsfally cultivated this ufe- 
ful feience. I have obtained many in- 
terefting and valuable particulars, relative 
to that celebrated mathematician Rigibert 
Benne, but as his death happened the 
preceding year, I fhall referve thefe details 
for another opportunity. 
Alexandre Guy Pingré. marine geogra- 
pher, late affociate of the Academy of 
Sciences at Paris, and librarian of Sainte 
Genevieve and of the Pantheon, was born 
at Paris, Sept. q, 1711. He ftudied at 
the Colleze de Senlis, then belonging to 
the Regular Canons of the Congregation 
of France, vulgarly called the Genovefains, 
mto whole fociety he entered in 1727. 
He had originally devoted himfelf to the 
ftudy of divinity, of which he was eleéted 
a profeflor at the age of 24, before he had 
even taken prieft’s orders; but the troubles 
which afterwards arofe on the fubject of 
Janfenifn, obliged him ‘to abdicate. 
On the eftablithment of an academy at 
Rouen, in 1748, Pingré was chofen a 
member, and an aftronomer being wanted, 
Piagré was appointed to take the charge 
of this department. From that period 
his reputation, asan aftronomer, became 
univerfally eftablifhed. His death hap- 
pened on the r2thof May. He is fueceeded 
in the inftitute, by Cit. Jeaural. 
Jean Dominique Caffini IV, was born 
in 1748. In 1796, he retired into the 
country: he has been replaced at the 
board of longitude by Cit. Meflier, and in 
the infitture by Bory. 
Don Antoine de Ulloa, died at the 
advanced age of 80, at Cadiz, in June, 
1795. This is* the fame aitronomer, 
who, coripintly with Godin, Bovuguer, and 
Condamine, was commilflioned, m 1736, 
to.meafure a degree in Peru; on which 
important fubject he publifhed a work, 
in three volumes in quarto, in 1793. °He 
was one of the moft zealous patrons of. 
afirqaomy in Spain, and contributed 
4B 2 . greatly 
