sold: the
remainder encumber our shelves. Thus, after four years, the Society are
still losers of three hundred and sixty Pounds on this transaction.

ON THE CONVERSION OF THE GREENWICH OBSERVATIONS INTO
PASTEBOARD.--Although the printing of these observations is not paid for
out of the funds of the Royal Society, yet as the Council of that body
are the visitors of the Royal Observatory, it may not be misplaced to
introduce the subject here.

Some years since, a member of the Royal Society accidentally learned,
that there was, at an old store-shop in Thames Street, a large quantity
of the volumes of the Greenwich Observations on sale as waste paper. On
making inquiry, he ascertained that there were two tons and a half to be
disposed of, and that an equal quantity had already been sold, for the
purpose of converting it into pasteboard. The vendor said he could get
fourpence a pound for the whole, and that it made capital Bristol board.
The fact was mentioned by a member of the Council of the Royal Society,
and they thought it necessary to inquire into the circumstances.

Now, the Observations made at the Royal Observatory are printed with
every regard to typographical luxury, with large margins, on thick
paper, hotpressed, and with no sort of regard to economy. This
magnificence is advocated by some who maintain, that the volumes ought
to be worthy of a great nation; whilst others, seeing how little that
nation spends on science, regret that the sums allotted to it should not
be applied with the strictest economy. If the Astronomer Royal really
has a right to these volumes, printed by the government at a large
expense, it is, perhaps, the most extravagant mode which was ever
yet invented of paying a public servant. When that right was given to
him,--let us suppose somebody had suggested the impolicy of it, lest he
should sell the costly volumes for waste paper,--who would have listened
for one moment to such a supposition? He would have been told that
it was impossible to suppose a person in that high and responsible
situation, could be so indifferent to his own reputation.

A short time since, I applied to the President and Council of the Royal
Society, for copies of the Greenwich Observations, which were necessary
for an inquiry on which I was at that time engaged. Being naturally
anxious to economize the small funds I can devote to science, the
request appeared to me a reasonable one. It was, however, refused; an