CADE
SINCE 1850.

1801 to 1850--altogether 13 discoveries.
1851 to 1860-- " 49 "
1861 to 1870-- " 49 "
1871 to 1880-- " 108 "
1881 to 1890-- " 83 "
1891 to 1900-- " 180 announcements
In 1901 " 36 "
" 1902 " 50 "
" 1903 " 41 "
---
Total 609

[_N.B._--Many of the more recent announcements turned out to refer to
old discoveries.]

[Sidenote: Scarcity of names.]

The known number of these bodies has accordingly increased so rapidly as
to become almost an embarrassment; and in one respect the embarrassment is
definite, for it has become quite difficult to find _names_ for the new
discoveries. We remember with amusement at the present time that for the
early discoveries there was sometimes a controversy (of the same kind as
in the case of Uranus) about the exact name which a planet should have.
Thus when it was proposed to call No. 12 (discovered in 1850, in London,
by Mr. Hind) "Victoria," there was an outcry by foreign astronomers that
by a subterfuge the name of a reigning monarch was again being proposed
for a planet, and considerable opposition was manifested, especially in
America. But it became clear, as other discoveries were added, that the
list of goddesses, or even humbler mythological people, would not be large
enough to go round if we were so severely critical, and must sooner or
later be supplemented from sources hitherto considered unsuitable; so,
ultimately, the opposition to the name Victoria was withdrawn. Later still
the restriction to feminine names has been broken through; one planet has
been named Endymion, and another, of which we shall presently speak more
particularly, has been called Eros. But before passing to him you may
care to look at some of the names selected for others:--

No. Name.
248 Lameia
250 Bettina
261 Prymno
264 Libussa
296 Phaetusa
340 Eduarda
341 California
350 Ornamenta
357 Ninina
385 Ilmatar
389 Industria
391 Ingeborg
433 Eros
443 Photographica
457 Alleghenia
462 Eriphyla
475 Ocllo
484 Pittsburghia
503 Evelyn

[Sidenote: Bettina.]

[Sidenote: The provisional letters.]

In connection with No. 250 there is an interesting little history. In the
_Observatory_ for 1885, page 63, appeared the f