56 REPORT—1843. 
2. British and Foreign Observatories— Publications of Magnetic Observations 
and Memoirs, &e. relating to Terrestrial Magnetism and Meteorology. 
The government of the United States have appropriated funds for the esta- 
blishment of a magnetic observatory at Washington under the direction of 
Lieut. Gillies of the United States Navy. This gentleman has lately visited 
Europe for the purpose of obtaining instruments for this observatory, as well 
as for a national astronomical observatory, which is also placed under his di- 
rection. 
The United States government has also appropriated funds for the support 
during three additional years of the Magnetic Observatory at Philadelphia, 
under the direction of our zealous and accomplished Corresponding Member 
Professor Bache. 
In consequence of an application made by the President and Council of the 
Royal Society, through the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, to the 
Bavarian government, the Magnetic Observatory at Munich, which under 
Dr. Lamont has rendered such good service to the magnetic cause, has been 
continued for three additional years. The results of the first three years, 
1840, 1841 and 1842, have been published in a memoir in the Bavarian 
Academy of Sciences, which has been translated in the 12th Part of 
Taylor’s Scientific Memoirs. 
A second volume of the magnetic and meteorological observations made 
at the Prague Observatory has been published by M. Kreil, containing the 
regular observations for August 1840 to July 1841, and the disturbance ob- 
servations from September 1839 to Nov. 1840. 
The publication of the regular observations made at the Magnetic Obser- 
vatory at Christiania, under the direction of the veteran and indefatigable 
Professor Hansteen, are preparing for publication at the expense of the Nor- 
wegian government. They consist of an unparalleled series with the unifilar 
magnetometer, observed at every ten minutes night and day, from November 
1841 to the end of June 1843: accompanied by observations of the bifilar at 
eyery second hour from June to December 1842, and since that period hourly. 
M. Gauss has published in the last volume of the ‘ Resultate’ a laborious 
analysis of the observations made with the inclinometer, and an examination 
of all the sources from whence error may introduce itself into the results. 
This memoir, which is calculated to be of much practical use, has been trans- 
lated in the 12th Part of Taylor’s Scientific Memoirs. The testimony which 
M. Gauss bears to the excellence of the inclinometer made by the late Mr. Ro- 
binson, must be very grateful to the friends of that much-regretted artist. 
The publication of the observations at the British colonial stations still 
awaits the exact determination of the temperature coefficients, for which 
object an auxiliary appayatus has been sent to each observatory. The first 
part of the volume of the disturbance observations has been completed, 
comprising those made in 1840, 1841. The reasons for separating these 
observations from the general series, and commencing the publication of 
the results obtained at the magnetic observatories with them, have been 
assigned in our last report. Colonel Sabine has prefaced this volume with 
a synoptic statement of the general conclusions which it has been found 
practicable to deduce from the observations in their actual uncorrected state 
(the temperature corrections being for the most part, and the scale-coefti- 
cients, in certain of the series still wanting *), some of the more important of 
which it will be proper here to mention. 
* The reasons for printing these especial observations in the absence of these essential 
elements for their correction, will be found in the preface alluded to. It was not resolved 
on without full consideration. 
