June 8, 1882] 



NATURE 



141 



a 1882, has hitherto shown only a continuous spectrnm with two 

 irregular ill-defined maxima of light. The observations of this 

 comet are being continued." 



In the year ending Way 20, 18S2, photographs of the sun 

 have been taken on 200 days, and of these 352 have been selected 

 for preservation. Since the end of last August photographs 

 have been taken on Sundays as well as on week days. There 

 were only 2 days out of 200 on which the sun's disk was observed 

 to be free from spots. There has been a large increase in the 

 number and size of spots and facula;, the mean of the daily areas 

 for each in 18S1 being nearly double of the corresponding 

 quantities for iSSo, and the increase is still continuing, though 

 with well-marked fluctuations. A very remarkable outbreak of 

 spots occurred in April last. 



With regard to magnetical observations the report states that 

 no important change has been made in the three magnetometers 

 with which the changes in the magnetic declination, horizontal 

 force, and vertical force are continuously recorded by photo- 

 graphy. 



" The large temperature correction for the vertical force magnet 

 has made it impracticable to discuss satisfactorily the diurnal 

 inequality of vertical force and its dependence on solar activity, 

 notwithstanding the great care taken to keep the magnetic base- 

 ment at as nearly uniform a temperature as possible. After 

 giving details as to rearrangements of the earth-current appa- 

 ratus, the report states that "on four days during -the year, 

 viz., September 12 and 13 and April 16 and 19, magnetic 

 storms have occurred. Those of April we-e of more marked 

 character than any that have taken place since the great storms 

 of the year 1872, and it is a significant fact that exceptionally 

 large spots made their appearance on the sun shortly before, 

 viz., on April 1 1 and 17. Smaller magnetic movements are now 

 alsimuch more frequent, the traces exhibiting a marked con- 

 trast to their general appearance some two or three years ago. 

 In regard to the long period variation of about II years, we are 

 able now to say definitely that the minimum as regards diurnal 

 range of declination occurred at the commencement of 1879, 

 whilst as regards diurnal range of horizontal force, it occurred 

 unmistakeably earlier, about August, 1S78. Since the epochs 

 mentioned, each element has, with small fluctuations, continued 

 regularly to increase again in magnitude, the daily range of 

 declination having increased from 6''59 at the beginning of 1879 

 to 9''I5 in 1SS1, and that of horizontal force from '00110 (in 

 parts of the whole H.F.) in 187S to •00181 in 1SS1. We 

 have frequent applications from mining surveyors for the values 

 of the magnetic elements, and recently the wish has been 

 expressed that information as to the diurnal inequality and par- 

 ticulars of magnetic storms observed here should be communi- 

 cated from time to time to the Colliery Guardian newspaper, in 

 order that mining surveys may be carried out with due allowance 

 for the diurnal and other motions of the magnetic needle." 



Under the heading of Meteorology, the Report states that 

 " the mean temperature of the year 18S1 was 48 ,>- 7, being o 0, 6 

 lower than the average of the preceding 40 years. The highest 

 air temperature was 97°'i on July 15, and the lowest I2 0, 7 on 

 January 17. The mean temperature was below the average, 

 6 a '7 in January and 4°'8 in October, and above the average, 

 5°'9 in November. In other months the temperature in general 

 differed little from the average. On four days in July the tem- 

 perature rose above 90°. The mean daily motion of the air in 

 18S1 was 291 miles, being 12 miles greater than the average. In 

 January and September the mean daily motion was 70 miles and 

 72 miles below the average respectively. In April, August, and 

 November it was 70 miles, 60 miles, and 71 miles above the 

 average respectively. The greatest daily motion was 999 miles 

 on October 14. the day of the great storm, and the least, 59 

 miles on May 25. A velocity of 61 miles an hour was recorded 

 on October 14, and one of 58 miles an hour on April 29, these 

 being both greater than any recorded in previous years. The 

 greatest pressure was 53 lbs. on the square foot on October 14 ; 

 pressures of 46, 47, and 48 lbs. were also registered during the 

 same gale. On April 29 a pressure of 49J lbs. was recorded at 

 a time when the hourly velocity was 50 miles ; the pressures 

 corresponding to the maximum velocity of 58 miles an hour were 

 not registered, the cord of the pressure pencil having slipped off 

 the pulley." 



"The volume of Greenwich Observations for 1879 was printed 

 and distributed last autumn, and the volume for 1880 was passed 

 for press in the middle of April. The copies are now in the 

 binder's hands. As regards the volume for 1S81, the transits are 



punted to May 19, meridian zenith distances to April 27, azi- 

 muths with the altazimuth to March 31, and zenith distances to 

 June 2." 



" The number of chronometers now being tested at the Obser- 

 vatory is 214, 168 of which (120 bjx-chronometers, 23 pxket- 

 chronometers, and 25 deck-watches) belong to the Government, 

 and are being rated after repiir previous to being issued to the 

 navy. The remaining 46 are placed here for the annual com- 

 petitive trial, and of these 18 are fitted with Airy's supplemen- 

 tary compensation. In addition to the above, 6 chron nneters 

 hive been placed on trial for the Mauritius Observatory, and 5 

 chronometers have b;en tested for the Japanese Government. 



"There has been only one case of accidental failure in the 

 automatic drop of the Greenwich time-bill. On four days the 

 ball was not raised, on account of the violence of the wind. 

 The Deal ball has been dropped automatically at ih. on every 

 day throughout the year, with the exception of 15 days, on 

 which there was ether failure in the telegraphic connection, or 

 interruption from telegraph signals continuing up to ih., and of 

 one day when the current was too weak to release the trigger 

 without the attendant's assistance. On 3 days, high winds made 

 it imprudent to raise the ball. The Westminster clock has con- 

 tinued to perform well, its errors having been under Is. on 40 

 percent, of the days of observation, between is. and 2s. on 44 

 per cent., between 2s. and 3s. on 14 per cent., and between 3s. 

 and 4s. on 2 per cent. Time-signals, originating in the Obser- 

 vatory, are distributed at 10 a.m. and I p.m. to all parts of the 

 country by the Post Office telegraphs." 



Mr. Christie concludes his Report by referring to some new- 

 arrangements for calculations and observations, which will greatly 

 economise the time and labour of the staff. The staff, indeed, seems 

 inadequate to the constantly increasing work. With reference 

 to spectroscopic observation, for example, Mr. Christie says: — 

 "With only one as.-i-tant available for observations, we can 

 barely do half of the work which we have undertaken in defer- 

 ence to a widely-expressed wish, and we are continually forced 

 to makea choice between observations with conflicting claims on 

 our attention. As regards solar photography, the value of our 

 results would be very greatly increased if the gaps in the Green- 

 wich series were filled up by the help of the photographs taken 

 in India aud elsewhere under the auspices of the Solar Physics 

 Committee, so that the areas and positions of sun-spots and 

 faculce should be given for every day. I am in communication 

 with the Committee on this matter, and am in hopes that the 

 saving of labour recently effected in our photographic reduc- 

 tions will enable us to undertake the work with our existing 

 staff." 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE 



Oxford. — The honorary degree of D.C.L. will be conferrei 

 at the approaching Encaenia upon the following among other 

 distinguished persons : — Baron Nordenskjiild, Dr. Allen Thom- 

 son, and M. Pasteur. 



Cambridge. — The election of a Professor of Animal Mor- 

 phology took place on May 31, when Mr. Francis Maitland 

 Balfour, M.A., F.R.S., Fellow of Trinity College, was by an 

 unanimous vote of the members of the electoral roll selected to 

 fill the newly-established chair. The professorship was "es- 

 tablished by a grace of the Senate passed on May 1 1 by virtue 

 of the provisions of the University Statute for the e-tablishnient 

 of additional professors. The stipend attached to the chair is 

 300/. per annum, and it is provided the professorship shall ter- 

 minate with the tenure of office of the professor first elected 

 unless the University shall decide that the professorship shall be 

 continued. The Council of the Senate in their report recom- 

 mending the foundation of the professorship laid stress on the 

 fact that the teaching of biology in Cambridge had lately been 

 most successful and had rapidly developed. The classes are 

 now so large that the accommodation provided a few years ago 

 had already become insufficient. It was well known that one 

 branch of this teaching — viz. that of animal morphology, had 

 been created in Cambridge by the efforts of Mr. F. M. Balfour, 

 and that it had grown to its present importance through his 

 ability as a teacher and his scientific reputation. The service to 

 the interests of Natural Science thus rendered by Mr. Balfour 

 having been so far generously given wdthout any adequate 

 academical recognition, the benefit of its continuance was en- 



