The Observatory.

The report of Professor Edward C. Pickering, director of the Harvard Observatory, shows that the past year has been a very successful one in this department.

The most important event mentioned is the completion of the new fire-proof brick building and the transfer to it of about 30,000 stellar photographs. Three expeditions have been sent out to the Harvard station in Peru during the past year and two have already returned while the third has begun work successfully. The entire income of the Paine fund, one of the largest gifts ever made to astronomy, is this year for the first time available for the use of the observatory. Notwithstanding this important increase in the resources, the expenses due to additional undertakings have also become greater, so that no new researches can be begun for the present.

During the last year a very important addition has been made to the observatory in the new Bruce telescope. This telescope is of remarkable size, power and scope, and does the work of about twenty other telescopes.

Until recently the highest meteorological station in the world has been that established by this observatory on Mt. Chachani, at an elevation of 16,650 feet. After making a careful examination of the volcano EI Misti, Professor Bailey has succeeded in establishing a station upon its top at an elevation of 19,200 feet. The mountain as seen from every direction, is an isolated, sharp peak, and is therefore especially suited for the study of the upper atmosphere.

The library of the observatory has been increased during the year by the addition of 294 volumes and 715 pamphlets. The total number of volumes and pamphlets on November 1, 1893, were 7492 and 9460 respectively.

Certain observations at Cambridge are each year rendered more difficult. The introduction of electric lights, especially in the vicinity of the observatory, greatly interferes with the observation of faint objects. Additional trouble is anticipated from the proposed introduction of electric cars on Concord Avenue, which forms the southern boundary of the grounds of the observatory.