the
calculations of the value of the Moon's Semi-diameter deduced from 295
Occultations observed at Cambridge and Greenwich from 1832 to 1860,
and shewing that the Occultation Semi-diameter is less than the
Telescopic Semi-diameter by 2"; the other containing the reduction of
the Planetary Observations made at the Royal Observatory in the years
1831-1835; filling up the gap, between the Planetary Reductions
1750-1830 made several years ago under my superintendence, and the
Reductions contained in the Greenwich Volumes 1836 to the present
time: and conducted on the same general principles."--"Some trouble
had been found in regulating the temperature of the Magnetic Basement,
but it was anticipated that in future there would be no difficulty in
keeping down the annual variation within about 5 deg. and the diurnal
variation within 3 deg..--Longitudes in America were determined in this
year by way of Valencia and Newfoundland: finished by Nov. 14th."

Of private history: In April he made a short visit to Ventnor in the
Isle of Wight.--From June 15th to July 23rd he was on an expedition in
Norway with his son Osmund and his nephew Gorell Barnes.--There was
probably a short stay at Playford in the winter.

In this and in the previous year (1865) the free-thinking
investigations of Colenso, the Bishop of Natal, had attracted much
notice, and had procured him the virulent hostility of a numerous
section. His income was withheld from him, and in consequence a
subscription fund was raised for his support by his admirers. Airy,
who always took the liberal side in such questions, was a subscriber
to the fund, and wrote the following letter to the Bishop:

ROYAL OBSERVATORY, GREENWICH, S.E.,
_1865, July 24_.

MY LORD,

With many thanks I have to acknowledge your kind recollection of me in
sending as a presentation copy the work on Joshua, Judges, and
especially on the divided authorship of Genesis; a work whose
investigations, founded in great measure on severe and extensive
verbal criticism, will apparently bear comparison with your Lordship's
most remarkable examination of Deuteronomy. I should however not do
justice to my own appreciation if I did not remark that there are
other points considered which have long been matters of interest to
me.

On several matters, some of them important, my present conclusions do
not absolutely agree wi