XXXVl REPORT— 1855. 



polar axis will be furnished with a worm-wheel and clock-work driver, and 

 the declination axis with a clamping circle. A shutter for covering the 

 object-glass, and capable of being rapidly moved by the observer, will be so 

 contrived as to be under his command, whether he be at the time near the 

 object-glass or near the screen, eight feet distant. 



It was originally intended to place the telescope in an observatory 12 

 feet in diameter, provided with a revolving roof; adjoining the observatory, 

 a small room for chemicals was to have been constructed, so as to facilitate 

 the fixing of the pictures. It has however been found possible to somewhat 

 alter the construction of the tube, so as to reduce its length sufficiently to 

 allow of the telescope being placed under the dome of the Kew Observatory, 

 which is only 10 feet in diameter. 



Dr. Miller has selected an air-pump for the use of the Observatory, 

 which has been purchased out of the grant of the Royal Society, and is now 

 in the Observatory. 



Dr. Robinson's Anemometer, to record the total amount of wind (but 

 not as yet the time or direction), has been constructed at the Observatory, 

 and is now in action, 



John P. Gassiot, 



Chairman. 



Special Report of the Kew Committee relative to the use of Land contiguous 

 to the Observatory, as also to the Lighting of the Buildiiig jvith Gas. 



The Committee having ascertained through the Earl of Harrowby, Pre- 

 sident of the British Association, that in consequence of a recent Act of 

 Parliament no portion of the ground contiguous to the Observatory could 

 be obtained free of rent, and the Commissioners of Parks, Palaces, and Public 

 Buildings having refused to light the Observatory with gas, the Committee 

 consider it their duty to present the following special Report for the con- 

 sideration of the Council. 



Beport. 



The Observatory was originally placed at the disposal of the British Asso- 

 ciation by Her Majesty's Government in 18V2, and has since been used as a 

 place of deposit for the various books, papers and apparatus belonging to the 

 Association, as well as for the carrying on a continued series of scientific in- 

 vestigations, which have from time to time been fully detailed in its annual 

 reports. 



In the Report of the Committee presented to the Association at their 

 Meeting at Hull in September 185S, it was recommended that an application 

 should be made to the Commissioners of Woods and Forests for the tempo- 

 rary use of a small portion of the ground near the Observatory for the erec- 

 tion of suitable places for observing : this recommendation having been 

 approved by the Association, Col. Sabine and the Chairman of the Com- 

 mittee waited on Sir W. Molesworth in January 1854, and explained that 

 t'.ie land which the Committee required would not exceed two acres. Sir 

 W. Molesworth stated, that there was some doubt whether the Park was 

 under the control of his Board, but that he would be happy to forward the 

 application. 



The Committee not hearing anything further from Sir W. Molesworth, 

 applied to the Hon. Charles Gore, who, at their request, visited the Obser- 

 vatory on the 1st of April, I85i, in company with Mr. Clutton, when it was 

 arranged that the Committee should pay a sum of £10 10*. per acre for the 

 US3 of the land to the tenant, until Michaelmas IBS^, at which time it waa 



