KEW OBSERVATORY 167 



was Balfour Stewart, who was already superintendent 

 of the observatory, which was to become the central 

 observatory for a series of others (Falmouth, Stony- 

 hurst, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Armagh, Valencia) 'pro- 

 vided with similar self-recording instruments, and 

 distributed throughout the country in such a manner 

 that by their means the progress of meteorological 

 phenomena over the British Isles might be recorded 

 with great exactness.' From this time (1867) onward 

 the work at the observatory is considered under two 

 headings : (a) that done under the direction of the 

 Association ; (b) that done at Kew as the Central 

 Observatory of the Meteorological Committee. In 

 addition to what may be termed the external services 

 of the observatory, the report of 1869 points out 

 ' that the system of automatic records established 

 and in actual work at the Kew Observatory com- 

 prehends magnetic, barometric, and thermometric 

 observations, as well as those of the direction and 

 velocity of the wind.' 



The way was at last becoming clear for relieving 

 the Association of a burden such as it was not designed 

 to support, though we have seen that in supporting 

 it, it filled a breach which might otherwise have 

 grown beyond repair. In 1869 the Council resolved 

 ' that the present relations between Kew Observa- 

 tory and the British Association be continued 

 unaltered until the completion, in 1872, of the 

 magnetic and solar decennial period ; and after that 

 date all connexion between them should cease.' In 

 1871 the Council of the Royal Society intimated 

 readiness to take possession of the observatory, which 

 in the following year duly passed under the control 

 of that body. 



