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The Library of Congress website finally cooperated with me.  The 1960
edition is a Dover Books reprint of the 5th Edition of 1891.  I expect
Dan's 1903 book is a printing of the 5th Edition of 1891, inferring
from the contents of the Library of Congress catalogue.  The Dover
edition of 1960 appears to have the additional subtitle mentioned
below.  The full title of the 1891 book is: "A manual of spherical and
practical astronomy, embracing the general problems of spherical
astronomy, the special applications to nautical astronomy, and the
theory and use of fixed and portable astronomical instruments, with an
appendix on the method of least squares."

It appears this book might address the questions with which I lately
have been pestering the list, apparently containing an appendix
entitled: "A treatise on the method of least squares; or, The
application of the theory of probabilities in the combination of
observations."  Chauvenet also wrote a booklet for the Navy on: "New
method of correcting lunar distances, and Improved method of finding
the error and rate of a chronometer by equal altitudes."  I hope the
substance of that is contained in the manual.

The Dover reprint is available on Amazon.com (he says hoping his
existing order will be honored prior to a stampede).

Fred

On Dec 24, 2003, at 1:48 PM, Fred Hebard wrote:

> The title of this book may be "Manual of Spherical and Practical
> Astronomy".  Some of the older editions have an additional subtitle.
> There is a 1960 edition.

   

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