1 68 Iteport of the Kew Observatory Committee. 



1896. 1897. 



Thermometers, clinical 161 1 56 



,, ordinary meteorological 56 38 



Sextants 79 98 



Telescopes 30 66 



Binoculars 28 



Various 43 56 



Two Standard Thermometers have been constructed during the 

 year. 



There were at the end of the year in the Observatory undergoing 

 verification 12 Barometers, 680 Thermometers, 24 Sextants, 12 

 Telescopes, 10 Binoculars, 20 Hydrometers, and 3 Sunshine Re- 

 corders. 



VI. RATING OF WATCHES AND CHRONOMETERS. 



The high standard of excellence to which attention was drawn in 

 last year's Report has been maintained. Although the number of 

 marks obtained by the watch standing first on the list is slightly 

 lower than last year, yet the general average is as good, and no less 

 than 108 movements have obtained the highest possible form of 

 certificate (the class A especially good), which involves the attain- 

 ment of 80 per cent, of the total marks. 



The 680 watches received were entered for trial as below : 



For class A, 492 ; class B, 144 ; class C, 16 ; and 28 for the subsi- 

 diary trial. Of these 17 passed the subsidiary test, 161 failed from 

 various causes to gain any certificate ; 7 were awarded class C 

 certificates, 109 class B, and 386 class A. 



In Appendix III will be found a table giving the results of trial 

 of the first 51 watches which gained the highest number of marks 

 during the year. The highest place was taken by Messrs. Usher and 

 CoJe, of London, with a keyless going-barrel, Karrusel lever- watch, 

 No. 29,106, which obtained 88'4 marks out of a maximum of 100. 



The class C trial having been of late years but little called for. 

 the Committee decided early in the year to suspend the further issue 

 of class C certificates, and this rule came into operation on April 1. 



The number of watches obtaining the class A certificate "espe- 

 cially good " having during the past few years largely increased, con- 

 siderations of space forbid the publication of the rates and marks, of 

 all of them. Attention was drawn to this proposed change in the 

 Report for 1896. 



Appendix III embraces watches gaining 82'5 marks and upwards-, 

 the remaining 57, which obtained the distinction "especially good," 

 ranging from 82'3 to 80'0 marks. 



Various representations having been made that changes are 



