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REPORT OF THE KEW COMMITTEE. XXXVil 
During the month of August Dr. Sabler, Director of the Observatory of 
Wilna in Russia, resided at Cranford, and received instruction in Astrono- 
mical Photography. A Photoheliograph is being constructed for him under 
Mr. De la Rue’s superintendence by Mr. Dallmeyer, and a Micrometer by the 
Messrs. Simms. This Heliograph will embody all the optical and mechanical 
improvements suggested by the experiments with the Kew instrument ; and 
it is expected that the Wilna apparatus will be in operation in the spring 
of 1863. In the event of the Kew Heliograph being worked continuously, 
Sir John Herschel’s suggestion that daily records of the sun should be taken 
by means of photography will therefore be carried out both in England and 
Russia; if this were done in one or two other localities, a considerable 
amount of information would be obtained respecting physical changes con- 
tinually occurring on the sun’s surface. 
The experience obtained during the past year has been such as to lead 
Mr. De la Rue to recommend that photographic records should be continued 
for a series of years at some public Observatory. The Committee have had 
in consideration whether this could be done at Kew without interfering with 
the other work, and have come to the conclusion that the Heliograph might 
be worked at an annual expense of £200, which sum would cover the cost of 
an additional Assistant, who might at the same time do the other photogra- 
phic work of the Observatory. 
The old dome formerly used for the Heliograph is so inconyeniently situ- 
ated as to be quite unfit for such work, and it will be necessary to make 
some addition to one of the present out-buildings in order to contain the in- 
strument. The cost of this structure is estimated at £100. 
The Committee strongly recommend that the General Committee of the 
Association take such steps as they may consider advisable for carrying this 
desirable object into practical effect. 
The self-recording Electrometer of Prof. W. Thomson continues in con- 
- stant operation. 
Mr. Francis Galton having made arrangements in the Observatory Park for 
testing sextants, the Observatory is now prepared to receive such instruments 
for examination, and to issue certificates to such as may fulfil the conditions 
of any of the following classes :— 
A. Sextants of the highest order of workmanship for lunar observations 
and general service, on shore as well as at sea. 
B. Sextants for naval surveys and for the determination of altitudes with 
as much precision as is available at sea. 
C. Quadrants or sextants to be used without telescopes, for the determina- 
tion of altitudes with an exactness equal to the requirements of general 
navigation. 
The charges for examination under classes A and B will be 5s., under class 
C, 1ls.; and the minute constant errors of instruments under class A will be 
determined, when desired, at an additional charge of 5s. 
Fight sextants have been verified at Kew since the last Meeting of the 
British Association. 
The Observatory has been honoured with a visit from the following distin- 
guished men of science, who had visited this country in consequence of the 
International Exhibition :— 
Professors Dove, Magnus, and Quincke, of Berlin ; Professor Férchhammer, 
of Copenhagen; Professors Bunsen, Kirchhoff, and Eisenlohr, of Heidelberg ; 
Professors Kraft and Pisko, of Vienna; Professor Govi, of Turin; Professor 
Donati, of Florence ; Professor Bolzani, of Kasan; Professor Lapschine, of 
