Glasgow a scheme for controlling certain of the public clocks in the City and Port by a direct current of electricity from the Observatory, so that they might be regulated continuously to exhibit true Greenwich mean time. After some controversy on the subject, the Town Council decided to accept the proposal of Professor Grant, who at once adopted the plan of controlling invented by Mr. R. L. Jones, of Chester, which had been previously employed with success at Liverpool and other places. This system of control of the public clocks has been continued to the present time as a part of the daily duties of the Observatory.

In 1865 May Professor Grant, in co-operation with the Astronomer Royal, made a special series of observations for the determination of the difference of longitude between the observatories of Glasgow and Greenwich by an interchange of galvanic signals of star-transits on four simultaneous clear nights. The details of the observations are inserted in the Monthly Notices for 1865 December. Among his other miscellaneous work, Professor Grant favourably observed the great meteoric shower of Leonids on 1866 November 13, a large number of which supplied him abundant materials for establishing the position of the radiant point. He has contributed to the Monthly Notices the details of this great display, as well as of those observed on 1868 November 13, 1872 November 27, and 1885 November 27. He was also fortunate to observe, at the Glasgow Observatory, the ingress of the planet Venus during the transit of 1882.

Some reference should be made here to Professor Grant's valuable contribution to an important correspondence on the celebrated "Chasles " forgeries of the Pascal papers, which assisted more than any other in deciding the true character of these documents. Professor Grant, in the Times of 1867 September 20, admirably exposed, in the most conclusive manner, that the whole series of papers submitted to M. Chasles were, on the face of them, utterly fallacious. His argument was based upon certain numerical results contained in the so-called Pascal papers, and he shows clearly that these forgeries were concocted from corresponding numbers in the third edition of the Principia, published in 1726, Pascal having died in 1662.

One of the principal objects Professor Grant had in view from the beginning was the observation with the transit-circle of a selected list of stars, in order that their observed positions might be ultimately incorporated into a Glasgow Catalogue of Stars. It was his intention at first to confine the selection to the B.A. Catalogue, but he finally resolved to include in the list several thousands of telescopic stars, mostly taken from the first volume of Weisse's Bessel. The results of his more than twenty years' work with the transit-circle are contained in the "Catalogue of 6,415 Stars for the epoch 1870, deduced from observations made at the Glasgow University Observatory during the years 1860 to 1881." This excellent work, which was pub

lished in 1883, is not only found useful in supplying sensibly accurate mean places of a large number of stars of the eighth and ninth magnitudes, suitable for employment as reference stars in connection with observations of minor planets and comets, but the places are sufficiently reliable for the determination of proper motions. In the introduction to this volume Professor Grant has determined the proper motions of 99 stars, which, with few exceptions, had previously escaped detection. The preparation of a work of such magnitude must necessarily involve an immense amount of observation and calculation in a wellequipped observatory, but when it is considered that this important catalogue is the outcome of an observatory provided with only a scanty allowance for one assistant, it is difficult to form an adequate conception of the heavy responsibility which must have fallen on Professor Grant during the progress of the calculations and the arrangement of the work for the press.

A Second Glasgow Catalogue of 2,156 stars, in the preparation of which Professor Grant took a great interest, was published a few weeks only after his death. This catalogue contains the mean places of all the stars observed between 1886 and 1892, with the object of explaining certain inconsistencies in the former catalogue, or where there was any suspicion of proper motion shown by a comparison which Professor Grant instituted between the places of the W. B. stars in the First Catalogue, and the corresponding places of Bessel and Lalande. In the introduction he gives the details of 192 new determinations of proper motion. He personally revised the greater portion of this work while passing through the press; but his health must have been failing fast when he wrote in the early autumn that his assistant, Mr. Connell, "was especially helpful to me in the final stage of the catalogue passing through the press, when, in consequence of severe illness by which I was overtaken at the time, the aid of an assistant familiar with the whole details of the work was indispensable." Though still an invalid, Professor Grant had the gratification of completing the introduction, and he continued to examine and correct all the proof-sheets of the catalogue, even down to the last sheet, which he looked over on the morning of his death.

In 1868 the Glasgow Observatory was chosen as one of the stations at which systematic meteorological observations were made in connection with the Meteorological Office in London. Professor Grant was greatly interested in these observations, and faithfully performed all that was required. In 1883 some of the stations, including Glasgow, were closed, but through his strenuous exertions he prevailed upon the Town Council and the Clyde Trust to provide the pecuniary assistance necessary to continue the observations as before.

Professor Grant's intimate knowledge of the French language did good service in the translation of Arago's well-known Astronomie Populaire, which was edited by him and Admiral

W. H. Smyth, and published, with editorial foot-notes, in 1858. He also assisted in the translation of Arago's corresponding volume of biographies of eminent scientific men. About this time he had the permission of the Astronomer Royal to attach himself to the Royal Observatory, where he obtained some practical experience in making astronomical observations. This course of instruction extended over nearly twelve months, and the practice he obtained in the use of the instruments was found to be of considerable service to him in after years in his own observatory.

In addition to his astronomical papers printed in the Monthly Notices, Professor Grant was an occasional contributor to the Astronomische Nachrichten, the Comptes Rendus, the Proceedings of the Philosophical Society of Glasgow, Charles Knight's English Cyclopædia, and other works. He has also delivered courses of astronomical lectures on several occasions, the most important of which were those delivered in 1854 and 1855 at the London Institution, Finsbury Circus, and in 1868, 1869, and 1870 at the Royal Institution. Shortly after, he delivered three similar courses of lectures to ladies at the University of Glasgow.

The honorary degree of M.A. was conferred on Professor Grant in 1855 by the University of Aberdeen, and that of LL.D. in 1865. On 1865 June 1 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. During three years he filled the office of President of the Philosophical Society of Glasgow. As before stated, the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society was awarded to him on 1856 February 8 for his History of Physical Astronomy.

On 1874 September 3 Professor Grant married Elizabeth Emma, daughter of the late A. C. Davison, of Newcastle, New South Wales, and co. Monaghan, Ireland, by whom he leaves one son and three daughters. Although he was the subject of so much physical weakness during his youth, he always appeared to his friends to be in the full enjoyment of health and vigour. He called on the writer at Blackheath in 1892 March, when all who saw him were surprised at the activity of mind and body exhibited by him on that occasion. His brightness was particularly marked when references were made to some pleasant reminiscences of mutual association with some valued astronomical friends long since passed away. For some time, however, it had been observed by his family that his health was visibly failing, and particularly so in the early summer months. He never really rallied again, though his strength was sufficient to allow him to take a continued interest in his work, and to examine and correct the proofs of his Second Catalogue, which was passing through the press during his last illness. For a period of three months preceding his decease he was seen to become gradually weaker, but his voice was as strong, and his mind as clear, to the last hour of his life as they ever had been. His friends hoped that a brief relaxation from his observatory work in the bracing air of his native Strathspey would restore

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him for a time, but he had not been there long before his bodily weakness increased, and during the last few weeks he very gradually and peacefully faded away. The end came rather suddenly. He died at Grantown, on 1892 October 24, in the seventy-ninth year of his age.

Professor Grant was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society on 1850 June 14, and was a member of the Council from 1853 to 1860.

E. D.

JOHN HARTNUP was born at Somerset House, in the apartments of the Society, in 1841, when his father held the position of Assistant Secretary. In 1843 his father removed to Liverpool, having been appointed Astronomer to the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, and the whole of Mr. Hartnup's life may be said to have been passed upon the banks of the Mersey. He was educated at the Royal Institution School, Liverpool, and at a private academy at Chester, and his scientific training seems to have been effected under his father's sole and careful supervision. He became assistant in the Liverpool Observatory, in 1863, shortly before the Observatory was removed from the Waterloo Dock to its present position at Bidston, and there he gave unremitting attention to those many experiments on chronometrical rates with which his father's name has been so long connected, and which have proved of such signal service to the mercantile marine.

When his father retired from the service of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, Mr. Hartnup succeeded him as director of the Observatory, and so remained until his death. His most valuable contributions to science have been his papers on chronometrical management, and his reputation must rest on these. He gave effective support and assistance to the Liverpool Astronomical Society, holding for some time the position of vicepresident, and other scientific societies in Liverpool found in him a warm and cordial supporter. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society on 1886 February 12.

On 1892 April 21 he was killed by falling from the roof of the Observatory, where he had mounted to make some meteorological observations.

W. E. P.

THOMAS ARCHER HIRST was born at Heckmondwike (Yorkshire) on 1830 April 22, and was educated at the West Riding Proprietary School, Halifax. The acquaintance he there made with John Tyndall had a great influence on his future life. Tyndall went to Marburg University in 1847, and a visit paid to him there was sufficient to determine Hirst to migrate to that University, to study mathematics, physics, and chemistry. He graduated in 1852, presenting a dissertation on "Conjugate Diameters of the Ellipsoid." From Marburg he went to Göttingen, where he made the acquaintance of Gauss and worked at magnetism under Weber; and thence to Berlin.

He was

recalled to England to succeed Tyndall at the Queenwood College, Hampshire, and remained there for three years; and in 1854 he married Anna, youngest daughter of Samuel Martin, Esq., of Loughorne, County Down, Ireland; but the delicate health of his wife necessitated a visit to the South of France during the winter of 1856-7, which was unfortunately unavailing, for Mrs. Hirst died on the return journey in Paris. Dr. Hirst then spent two years abroad, attending the lectures of eminent mathematicians (Chasles, Liouville, Lamé, Bertrand), and writing several memoirs. Early in 1860 he unexpectedly found employment in University College School, of which he was made head master on the death of Mr. Cook. It was during his five years' tenure of this appointment that he made experiments on teaching geometry apart from "Euclid"; and he was one of the founders (in 1871) of the Association for the Improvement of Geometrical Teaching, and its president for the first seven years. In 1865 Dr. Hirst was appointed Professor of Mathematical Physics in University College, London, and in 1867 Professor of Mathematics, in succession to De Morgan. In 1870 he accepted the newly-created appointment of Assistant Registrar in the University of London, in consequence of which he resigned not only his professorship, but his general secretaryship of the British Association, which he had held for four years. Early in 1873, when the Royal Naval College was founded at Greenwich, Dr. Hirst was appointed Director of Studies, which position he occupied until 1883, when ill-health compelled him to resign it, and pass much of his time abroad. He died on 1892 February 16.

Dr. Hirst was one of the original members of the London Mathematical Society (1861); was on its council 1864-1883; was treasurer for several years, and president 1872-1874. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1866, but never contributed any papers to the Society. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1861, was three times a member of its council, and twice one of its vice-presidents; and in 1883 .he was awarded a Royal Medal. He was also a member of several other learned societies, British and foreign. His scientific work was chiefly confined to pure mathematics, and the excellence of its quality will be gathered from the uniform success which marked his career. Among his more important papers are those "On Equally Attracting Bodies" (Phil. Trans. 1857-8); “On Ripples and their Relation to the Velocity of Currents" (Phil. Mag., 1861); "On the Volumes of Pedal Surfaces" (Phil. Trans., 1863); "On the Quadric Inversion of Plane Curves" (Proc. R.S., 1865); and many in the Proceedings of the Mathematical Society, 1869-90.

JOSEPH KLEIBER, second son of Henry Kleiber, was born at St. Petersburg on 1863 December 15. He graduated at St. Petersburg University, and while privat-docent delivered lectures on "The Application of Mathematics to Social Phenomena,” and