mitted a Fellow on Feb. 18th 1836. I was
President of the Astronomical Society during this and the preceding
year (1836 and 1835).

"My connection with Groombridge's Catalogue of Stars began in 1832,
and the examination, in concert with Mr Baily, of the edition printed
by Mr Henry Taylor, resulted in its condemnation. In 1834 I
volunteered to the Admiralty to prepare a new edition, and received
their thanks and their authority for proceeding. It required a great
deal of examination of details, and much time was spent on it in 1836:
but it was not brought to the state of readiness for press.

"My predecessor, Mr Pond, died on Sept. 7th 1836, and was interred in
Halley's tomb in Lee churchyard."

* * * * *

The following letter was written by Airy in support of the application
for a pension to Mrs Pond, who had been left in great distress:

To HENRY WARBURTON, ESQ.

"The points upon which in my opinion Mr Pond's claims to the gratitude
of Astronomers are founded, are principally the following. _First_
and chief, the accuracy which he introduced into all the principal
observations. This is a thing which from its nature it is extremely
difficult to estimate now, so long after the change has been made, and
I can only say that so far as I can ascertain from books the change is
one of very great extent: for certainty and accuracy, Astronomy is
quite a different thing from what it was, and this is mainly due to Mr
Pond. The most striking exemplification of this is in his laborious
working out of every conceivable cause or indication of error in the
Circle and the two Circles: but very great praise is also due for the
new system which he introduced in working the Transit. In comparing Mr
Pond's systems of observation with Dr Maskelyne's, no one can avoid
being impressed with the inferiority of Dr Maskelyne's. It is very
important to notice that the continental observatories which have
since attracted so much attention did not at that time exist or did
not exist in vigour. _Secondly_, the attention bestowed by Mr Pond on
those points (chiefly of sidereal astronomy) which he regarded as
fundamental: to which such masses of observations were directed as
entirely to remove the doubts from probable error of individual
observations or chance circumstances which have injured many other
determinations. _Thirdly_, the regularity of observation. The effect
of all these has bee