Report of the Kew Committee. 503 



Anemograph. Early in the year a new " worm " spindle was fitted 

 to the direction fans, and the square-headed pricker was replaced 

 by a round one, made of extra hardened steel. At the same time 

 the direction pencil was " trued " in the lathe to improve the mark- 

 ing, and later on the velocity spiral was similarly treated. 



Barograph. The analysis of the value of the residual corrections 

 mentioned in last Report showed that a re-determination of the 

 barograph scale was expedient. This was carried out at the Meteoro- 

 logical Office, and showed that the old value of 1*569 inches in the 

 curve ordinates to 1 inch of pressure should be replaced by T553 

 inches. The new value has been employed since January 1, and the 

 irregularities of the residuals have been much less marked from that 

 date. 



Electrograph. This instrument has been in regular action during the 

 year, with the exception of about eleven days in January and nineteen 

 days in August, and its general performance haa been satisfactory. 

 Advantage was taken of the frost in January to dismount the whole 

 of the instrument, to remove the old acid in the jar and insulators, 

 and give the apparatus a general overhauling. 



At the same time the scale was slightly opened out. The suspen- 

 sion thread was accidentally broken on August 16, but it was replaced, 

 and the instrument re- started on September 4. 



Determinations of the scale value were made on March 30, 

 June 26, and December 27 by direct comparison with the Portable 

 Electrometer, White No. 53. 



The value of the scale divisions of this latter instrument was 

 kindly determined by Professor Carey Foster at University College 

 Laboratory during February, and the value for one division found to 

 lie between 197 205 volts. These experiments confirmed the scale 

 value heretofore employed, viz., 1 scale division = 200 volts. 



Inspections. In compliance with the request of the Meteorological 

 Council, the following Observatories and Anemograph Stations 

 were visited and inspected : Aberdeen and Glasgow, by Mr. Chree ; 

 Stonyhurst, Armagh, Fort William, Valencia, Deerness (Orkney), 

 Fleetwood, and Dublin, by Mr. Baker; and Oxford, Falmouth, 

 Alnwick Castle, North Shields, and Yarmouth, by Mr. Constable. 



III. SOLAK OBSERVATIONS. 



Sun-spots. Sketches of Sun-spots have been made on 156 days, and 

 the groups numbered, after Schwabe's method. 



Particulars will be found in Appendix II, Table IV. 



Time Signals. These have been regularly received from Greenwich 

 through the G.P.O., with the exception of a few days, on which 

 occasions supplementary signals were transmitted at later hours. 



