490 Anniversary Meeting. [Nov. 30, 



results of independent observation not continuous. The actual photograms, 

 or other mechanical representations, transmitted periodically by post to 

 the central station might be made to constitute a lithographed page for 

 each day in the year, comprehending the phenomena at all the six stations 

 each separate curve admitting of exact measurement from its own base-line, 

 the precise value of which might in every case be specified. 



The President and Council have added a suggestion that the Observatory 

 of the British Association at Kew might, with much propriety and public 

 advantage, be adopted as the central meteorological station. It already 

 possesses the principal self-recording instruments, and the greater part of 

 these have been in constant use there for many months. There would 

 be no difficulty in obtaining similar instruments for the affiliated meteoro- 

 logical stations, and in arranging for their verification and comparison with 

 the Kew standards, as well as in giving to those into whose hands they 

 may be placed, such instructions as may ensure uniformity of operation. 



You are aware that Royal Princes, Foreign as well as British, who signify 

 their desire to enter the Society, and are proposed accordingly, are under- 

 stood to be entitled to immediate ballot. On a late occasion, however, it was 

 found that, according to the strict letter of the statutes, the head and repre- 

 sentative of a Royal House might be inadmissible by privileged election, 

 whilst members of the same family of inferior rank were entitled to it. His 

 Royal Highness the Count of Paris having expressed a desire to join our 

 body, it appeared on referring to the Statutes, that although he is the son of 

 the late Duke of Orleans and hereditary representative of the late King of the 

 French, yet, inasmuch as his father had not been a "sovereign prince," the 

 Society was precluded from showing him a courtesy which it may extend to 

 other members of his family who look up to him as the head of their house. 

 The Council, believing that the Society would desire to see this anomaly 

 corrected, took, after due deliberation, the prescribed steps for amending the 

 Statute ; and being advised that the usage of Her Majesty's Court would 

 afford a suitable criterion of rank applicable to the case, introduced words 

 extending the privilege in question to " any foreign Prince who is received 

 by Her Majesty as Imperial Highness or Royal Highness." The unanimous 

 election of the Count of Paris under the amended Statute may, I think, be 

 taken as a ratification of the act of the Council. 



I am glad to avail myself of this opportunity of stating that the reduc- 

 tion of the automatic records of the bifilar magnetometer at Kew during 

 the seven years from 1858 to 1864 inclusive has now been completed, so 

 far as to make known the relative amount of magnetic disturbance in 

 each of those years. The results are shown in a note (B)*, by which it will 

 be seen that 1859 was a year of decided maximum, the aggregate disturb- 

 ances in that year being considerably greater than in 1858, and dimi- 

 * See note B, p. 512. 



