DEATH OF R. A. PROCTOR.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 217, 14 September 1888, Page 4

DEATH OF R. A. PROCTOR.

I New York, September 12. ! The death is announced of Mr Bichard ': A. Proctor, astronomer, from yellow fever. Mr Proctor was widely known as an eminent astronomer and as the proprietor and editor of the popular scientific paper, "Knowledge." He was born in 1837, so that lie has. died at the comparatively early ; ago ; 51 years. His health was never robust, and on that account his early . education was acquired ac his father's home. Ho went to college and ob•i taine'a fche B.A. degree. In 1866 he was appointed a Fellowr of the Royal Astrono--1 .mioal Society and in 1873 an honorary Fellow of King's College, London. He pursued the . study of astronomy out of love for the science, and nevor applied for any office to which oinolunierit of any kind attached. His astronomical researches were marked by boldness and originality of conception, and as an example of how corroob were >lm speculations ib ia worthy of mention thab 'in 186G k# maintained, on theoretical ■' ' .■■■.-..■■ ;■' • ■■»''?!. vtl ■■■ ■' ;" ■ .

I grounds, the hypothesis pi, the solar corona, which research has since shown to be correct. Mr. Proctor was ab one time a member 6f the Roman Catholic Church", '< but in. November, 1875, he intimated, in a letter to the New York " Tribune " that he had severed his connection with that body. He stated that the theologians of the church had convinced him that the holding of certain scientific views was incompatible with loyalty to the Roman Catholic faith; but, as he was firmly convinced that hia scientific views were correct, he thought he had no alternative bub abandon the Church. Mr Proctor was the author of a large number t)f works on astronomical, geographical, and other scientific subjects, and he will be remembered in Australia and New Zealand, for the able and entertaining course of lectures which he delivered in these colonies during a tour which he made about ton years ago. Mr Proctor was married to an American lady, and has of lato resided in the United States. '