error which would have been committed if the spheroidal form of the Earth had been neglected.  I must point out the extraordinary merit of the officers who effected this operation.  Transits were observed and chronometers were interchanged when the temperature was lower than 19 deg. below zero:  and when the native assistants, though paid highly, deserted on account of the severity of the weather, the British officers still continued the observations upon whose delicacy everything depended.

“Of private history:  From July 3rd to Aug. 13th I was in Ireland with my wife.  This was partly a business journey in connection with the determination of the longitude of Valencia.  On Jan. 4th I asked Lord Lyndhurst (Lord Chancellor) to present my brother to the living of Helmingham, which he declined to do:  but on Dec. 12th he offered Binbrooke, which I accepted for my brother.”

1845

“A map of the Buildings and Grounds of the Observatory was commenced in 1844, and was still in progress.—­On Mar. 19th I was employed on a matter which had for some time occupied my thoughts, viz., the re-arrangement of current manuscripts.  I had prepared a sloping box (still in use) to hold 24 portfolios:  and at this time I arranged papers A, and went on with B, C, &c.  Very little change has been made in these.—­In reference to the time given to the weekly report on Meteorology to the Registrar General, the Report to the Board of Visitors contains the following paragraph:  ’The devotion of some of my assistants’ time and labour to the preparation of the Meteorological Report attached to the weekly report of the Registrar General, is, in my opinion, justified by the bearing of the meteorological facts upon the medical facts, and by the attention which I understand that Report to have excited.’—­On Dec. 13th the sleep of Astronomy was broken by the announcement that a new planet, Astraea, was discovered by Mr Hencke.  I immediately circulated notices.—­But in this year began a more remarkable planetary discussion.  On Sept. 22nd Challis wrote to me to say that Mr Adams would leave with me his results on the explanation of the irregularities of Uranus by the action of an exterior planet.  In October Adams called, in my absence.  On Nov. 5th I wrote to him, enquiring whether his theory explained the irregularity of radius-vector (as well as that of longitude).  I waited for an answer, but received none. (See the Papers printed in the Royal Astronomical Society’s Memoirs and Monthly Notices).—­In the Royal Society, the Royal Medal was awarded to me for my Paper on the Irish Tides.—­In the Royal Astronomical Society I was President; and, with a speech, delivered the Medal to Capt.  Smyth for the Bedford Catalogue of Double Stars.—­On Jan. 21st I was appointed (with Schumacher) one of the Referees for the King of Denmark’s Comet Medal:  I have the King’s Warrant under his sign manual.—­The Tidal Harbour Commission commenced on Apr. 5th:  on