defray the very considerable outlay for plates in pursuing this lengthy and laborious work were provided, partly by a government grant and a grant from the Vienna Academy of Science, partly by the munificence of private donors, especially Baron Albert von ROTHSCHILD in Vienna, and Miss CATHERINE W. BRUCE in New York.

And now that the principal part of this preparatory work is done, the plan is to publish at Prague a Lunar Photographic Atlas on a scale of ten feet, relatively four metres, to the diameter of the Moon, having 200 maps of the size of 26X31 cm, containing the principal lunar formations viewed under the most varied. conditions of illumination. If this atlas is favorably received, I propose to publish, later on, a second series of 200 maps, to complete the first. The 200 maps first mentioned come from enlargements made since November, 1894, and show the best of what has been done up to the present time. The order in which the pictures will be arranged must not be supposed to follow the phases of the waxing or waning Moon; it will rather be determined by the degree of excellence or of beauty exhibited in the enlargements available for publication. Shown at the top of each sheet will be the selenographical latitude and longitude for the centre of the picture, and also the selenographical longitude of the terminator for the latitude oo. By this means it will be easy for every one to arrange the sheets according to the relative positions of the lunar objects they portray, or according to the terminator of the corresponding lunar phase. To secure the utmost precision in the minutest details, the reproductions of enlargements done at Prague will be executed by the phototype process in a manner as closely approaching perfection as possible. They will be printed direct from my enlarged glass diapositives, under my constant personal supervision and control, by the wellknown Art-Photographical Institute of CARL BELLMANN, Prague. The enclosed print, showing the Maginus Walled Plain* (L. O. 1895, Oct. 9, 16" 20" 2"-2, 5, P. S. T.), is an example of the way in which each map will be printed on card board of the size of 33X43 cm, so that they may be easily handled at the telescope or framed for scientific collections. Each map will be detached, and one fascicle, containing twenty maps, will appear every two—

*The circular is accompanied by a reproduction of Professor WEINER's enlargement of Maginus, which is admirable in every respect. Copies of the circular and this plate will be sent by CARL BELLMAN, as above, to those who apply to him. E. S. H.

three months. This will obviate the difficulty that observatories, academies, scientific societies, and institutions might else find in purchasing the entire work in one issue.

The publication of the atlas in the dimensions proposed (ten issues, making a total of 200 lunar landscapes) cannot be undertaken until the requisite pecuniary support is forthcoming in the shape of promises of numerous subscribers to the work. I venture to appeal in the first instance to the various observatories at home and abroad, and to solicit their promises to become subscribers for the ten issues, each to contain twenty lunar landscapes.

Pursuing, as I do, different ends from those of the Paris Lunar Atlas (its diameter of nearly 21⁄2 metres makes it a little larger than SCHMIDT's map) which aims at securing great beauty of relief and plastic effect, as well as from those of the Mt. Hamilton Atlas (its diameter is equal to that of MÄDLER's map, i.e. one metre), which endeavors to preserve the faint contrasts of light and shade in their true value, my enlargements published in the Prague Lunar Atlas should have ample justification for publication, in that they will together afford a faithful and accurate reproduction of the striking results obtained in the field of photo-selenography at the end of the nineteenth century."

Professor Dr. L. WEINEK, Director of the Imperial and Royal Observatory of Prague.

PRAGUE, April 18, 1897.

TRIAL OF THE CROSSLEY REFLECTor.

At the beginning of April, 1897, Professor HUSSEY was placed in full charge of the CROSSLEY reflector, to give it a thorough trial, visually at the Newtonian focus, and photographically at both the Newtonian and principal foci, thus continuing the work begun by him in June, 1896.* A new driving clock for the instrument has been made by the instrument-maker of the Lick Observatory during the past winter, from drawings by Professor HUSSEY. It is on the same general plan as the driving-clock of the 36inch equatorial, and promises well. The weights on the double conical pendulum are about twenty-eight pounds each. Mirror A is now in the instrument. During the winter and spring the BRUCE spectrograph has been constructed (at Mount Hamilton)

*See Publications A. S. P., Volume VIII, page 236.

for the reflector, from designs by Professor CAMPBELL, who proposes to employ it in the principal focus.

EDWARD S. HOLDEN.

DEATH OF HON. CHARLES FREDERICK CROCKER.

After a short illness, Hon. C. F. CROCKER, Regent of the University of California, and a member of the Committee of the Regents on the Lick Observatory, died at his country place, Uplands, San Mateo County, on Saturday, July 17, 1897, at the age of forty-three years. His loss will be felt in very many relations of business and friendship, and in none more than in those he sustained to the University of California and to the Lick Observatory. EDWARD S. HOLDEN.

July 18, 1897.

SMALL TELESCOPE FOR SALE.

Mr. C. A. SCRASE (care of Messrs. PERCY & DEARSLEY, 328 Montgomery Street, San Francisco), has in his hands for sale for $130 a telescope of 34-inches aperture by E. G. WOOD, of London, complete in its box. Intending purchasers should address themselves to him. E. S. H.

July 19, 1897.

APPOINTMENTS IN THE LICK OBSERVATORY.

At a meeting of the Regents, July 13, 1897, Mr. WILLIAM H. WRIGHT was appointed to be Assistant Astronomer and Mr. E. F. CODDINGTON to be Fellow in Astronomy. E. S. H.

MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND OF THE

SOCIETY, JUNE 12, 1897.

Saturday, June 12th, was the date for a regular meeting of the Directors and of the Society at Mt. Hamilton. As no quorum for the transaction of business (in either body) was present, no meetings were held. The papers presented for reading will be printed in the Publications in due course.

Board of Directors - Messrs. ALVORD, HOLDEN, MOLERA, MORSE, Miss O'HALLORAN, Messrs. PERRINE, PIERSON, SEARES, ST. JOHN, VON GELDERN, ZIEL.

Finance Committee-Messrs. WILLIAM M. PIERSON, E. J. MOLERA, and C. M. ST. JOHN, Committee on Publication-Messrs. HOLDEN, BABCOCK, AITKEN.

Library Committee-Messrs. HUSSEY and SEARES and Miss O'HALLORAN.

Committee on the Comet-Medal-Messrs. HOLDEN (ex-officio), SCHAEBERLE, CAMPBELL.

OFFICERS OF THE CHICAGO SECTION.

Executive Committee-Mr. RUTHVEN W. PIKE.

OFFICERS OF THE MEXICAN SECTION.

Executive Committee-Messrs. CAMILO GONZALEZ, FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ REY.

NOTICE.

The attention of new members is called to Article VIII of the By-Laws, which provides that the annual subscription, paid on election, covers the calendar year only. Subsequent annual payments are due on January 1st of each succeeding calendar year. This rule is necessary in order to make our book-keeping as simple as possible. Dues sent by mail should be directed to Astronomical Society of the Pacific 319 Market Street, San Francisco.

It is intended that each member of the Society shall receive a copy of each one of the Publications for the year in which he was elected to membership and for all subsequent years. If there have been (unfortunately) any omissions in this matter, it is requested that the Secretaries be at once notified, in order that the missing numbers may be supplied. Members are requested to preserve the copies of the Publications of the Society as sent to them. Once each year a title. page and contents of the preceding numbers will also be sent to the members, who can then bind the numbers together into a volume. Complete volumes for past years will also be supplied, to members only, so far as the stock in hand is sufficient, on the payment of two dollars to either of the Secretaries. Any non-resident member within the United States can obtain books from the Society's library by sending his library card with ten cents in stamps to the Secretary A. S. P., 819 Market Street, San Francisco, who will return the book and the card.

The Committee on Publication desires to say that the order in which papers are printed in the Publications is decided simply by convenience. In a general way, those papers are printed first which are earliest accepted for publication. It is not possible to send proof sheets of papers to be printed to authors whose residence is not within the United States. The responsibility for the views expressed in the papers printed rests with the writers, and is not assumed by the Society itself.

The titles of papers for reading should be communicated to either of the Secretaries as early as possible, as well as any changes in addresses. The Secretary in San Francisco will send to any member of the Society suitable stationery, stamped with the seal of the Society, at cost price, as follows: a block of letter paper, 40 cents; of note paper, 25 cents; a package of envelopes, 25 cents. These prices include postage, and should be remitted by money-order or in U. S. postage stamps. The sendings are at the risk of the member.

Those members who propose to attend the meetings at Mount Hamilton during the summer should communicate with "The Secretary Astronomical Society of the Pacific" at the rooms of the Society, 819 Market Street, San Francisco, in order that arrangements may be made for transportation, lodging, etc.