Observatory Work.

The report of Prof. Pickering detailing the work done at the Observatory during the past year was presented Wednesday to the regular visiting committee of the overseers. The most noticeable feature of the report is the cry for money, the three million cry of President Eliot. A temporary endowment of $5000 a year expires now and the work of the observatory will be seriously crippled in future unless a large increase is made in the permanent endowment or unlocked for contributions and bequests are regularly made for running expenses. How much this loss of the temporary endowment is, can be realized when it is stated that as a result five of the assistant now employed will have to be dismissed. Among the recent gifts were $5000 from the late Thomas G. Appleton of Boston, and L25 from a learned Englishman of Sunderland, Eng, and many valuable astronomical photograph from astronomers.

The observations have been very numerous. The comets have been one of the special features. The "standard time" has been introduced and some new instruments have been invented to aid in astronomical research. Another book of Obervatory Annals and many small treatises have been published. These cover the work of the whole year and are of much value in that branch of science to which they pertain.