Page:History of the Royal Astronomical Society (1923).djvu/98

 80 HISTORY OF THE [1830-40 these summaries gradually became more full ; and though as a rule every paper laid before the Society and deemed worthy of publication appeared in the Memoirs, there began to be occasional exceptions to this rule, when some short paper would only appear in the Notices.* The two first volumes were published by Priestley & Weale ; and as the first fourteen numbers (to 1828 November) had run out of print, they were reprinted in 1831, the Society paying half the cost. But in 1834 June the publishers declined to continue the publication of the Notices, and volume 2 was therefore at once brought to a close. From that date the Monthly Notices were " printed for the Society," and only a number sufficient for distribution to the Fellows were printed, f In the Annual Report of 1840, Fellows were warned that the Notices could not be pur- chased, so that anyone desirous of preserving them should endea- vour to prevent their being lost. The result of this reckless anxiety to save a few pounds annually was, that volumes 3, 4, and 5 almost at once became unobtainable ; and for the last fifty years or more they have been among the greatest literary rarities. When once the time had passed, when the death of one of the early Fellows would bring a set into the market, they were simply never met with, except when on very rare occasions a long series of volumes might be offered for sale. It is much to be regretted that these old volumes should be so scarce, as not only is much of the information given in them still of value ; but the abstracts of papers and the Annual Report afford very pleasant reading.^ 6. It was not only by the number and value of the papers published by the Society during the years 1830-40, that its steadily increasing prosperity was shown, but also by the gradual rise in the number of Fellows. In 1830 February there were 243 Fellows, in 1840, 307. Of these, respectively, 106 and 89 were non-residents, who lived at least 50 miles from London, and, having paid eight guineas, were exempt from annual subscription. In 1831 February an addition to the Bye-laws was passed, putting a stop to the election of non-resident Fellows ; but, of course, it took years before the finances of the Society felt the benefit of this change. A great (3, 4) ; Sheepshanks' Description of a Clock-movement for Equatoreals (3, 40) ; Biographical Notes on Halley, by Rigaud (3, 67) ; Baily's Paper on the Transit of Mercury, 1707 (3, 105) ; Th. Grubb on Gregorian and Cassegrain Reflectors (3, 177), etc. f In 1839 May an estimate was received for printing 300 copies. That the volumes from 8 are less scarce is due to Sheepshanks, who for some years had additional copies printed and gave them away (M.N., 16, 91). J The Annual Reports were, however, also printed in the Memoirs. The last non-resident Fellow, Admiral Bayfield, elected in 1827, died in 1885 in his ninetieth year.
 * Among these are : Daily's Account of the Flamsteed Papers