HISTORY OF PHYSICAL ASTRONOMY.

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been so deeply deplored by the astronomical world, practical astronomy,more especially, has lost a supporter whose place it will be difficult tosupply. The Astronomische Nachrichten, with which the name of thatastronomer is inseparably associated, has, perhaps, contributed more to-wards the improvement of astronomical science, in all its branches, thanany similar publication has ever done. This celebrated periodical wasestablished by M. Schumacher at Altona, in the year 1821, and has eversince formed the common medium of intercourse among astronomers overthe whole civilised world. Its publication continued to be regularlysuperintended by him till his death *.

While England, France, and Germany have been contributing towardsthe advancement of practical astronomy, Itaty has not remained an idlespectator of the scene. There is assuredly no cause of more cheeringcongratulation, to those who look forward to the regeneration of that noblecountry, than is afforded by the circumstance that, while trodden in everyage under the hoof of the oppressor, she has never, even in the darkesthour of her distress, resigned herself to despair, but has invariably main-tained her high position in the intellectual world, with a constancy ofpurpose and a brilliancy of success worthy of her deathless renown.While unrivalled in the productions of the imagination, Italy has beenalways ready to dispute the palm with the most favoured nations in themore severe pursuits relating to the mathematical and physical sciences.In Oriani and Piazzi, as well as many other eminent individuals of modemtimes, she has afforded abundant evidence that practical astronomers of thefirst order are not wanting to sustain her reputation.

The efforts which Russia has made in recent times to acquire a positionin the civilised world conformable to the grandeur of her material re-sources, have in no instance been more signally illustrated than in hermunificent patronage of astronomical science. The earliest observatory ofthat country was built at St. Petersburg, in 1725, under the auspices ofPeter the Great. Delisle, a French astronomer of considerable experience,was its first director. As in the case of most of the early observatoriesof Europe , it was built in the form of a high tower, the observations havingbeen made in an apartment at the top of the building. In 1747, thisstructure was totally consumed by fire, whereupon Delisle returned toFrance . Shortly afterwards it was rebuilt in its original style, and ITein-sius of Leipsic, an astronomer well known for his observations of the greatcomet of 1747, was appointed director. The instruments with which theobservatory had been hitherto furnished were only of moderate excellence,and consequently the observations could not be expected to possess a highdegree of importance. In 1761, however, the Russian Government, witha view to extend the usefulness of the observatory, procured from Eng-land a mural quadrant of eight feet radius, by Bird, who was then in thezenith of his fame, and also a transit instrument of five feet focal length,constructed by the same artist. Grischow, who was then director of theestablishment, justly considered that the practice of making the observa-tions in an apartment at the top of the building was unfavourable to thestability of the instruments ; and, moreover, that the situation of the obser-vatory in the heart of a populous city was not by any means desirable.On both these grounds, he suggested that a new observatory should be

* Heinrich Christian Schumacher was born at Bramstedt , in Holstein, on the 3rd ofSeptember, 1780. He died at Altona, on the 28th of December, 1850. The Astrono-mische Nachrichten is now superintended by MM. Petersen and Hansen.