lii REPORT — 1871. 



An invoiitory lias licoii iiiiule of the apparatus, instruments, &c. at present 

 deposited in the Observator}', and forms Appendix III. of the present llepoi+. 



In Appendix II. a list is given of the books at present in the Obsei'va- 

 tory, the property of the British Association. 



List B (Appendix II.) is a rough inventory of books, the property of the 

 British Association, which have been transferred from the Observatory to the 

 rooms of the Association in London for the purpose of being catalogued. 



(B) Work D02fE at Kew as the Centrai Obseevatoet op the 

 Meteokological Committee. 



1. Work done at Keiv as one of the Observatories of the 2Ieteorolof/tcal Com- 

 mittee. — The Barograph, Thermograph, Anemograph, and Rain-gauge arc 

 kept in constant operation. Mr. Baker is in charge of these instruments. 



From the first two instruments traces in duplicate are obtained, one set being 

 sent to the Meteorological Office and one retained at Kew. As regards the 

 Anemograph and llain-gaugc, the original records are sent, while a copy by 

 hand of tlicse on tracing-paper is retained. The tabulations from the curves 

 of the Ivew instruments are made by Messrs. Page and lligby. 



2. Verification of Records. — The system of checks devised by the Kew 

 Committee for testing the accuracy of the observations made at the different 

 Observatories continues to be followed, as well as the ruling of zero lines in 

 the Barograms and Thermograms suggested b}' the Meteorological Office. 

 Messrs. Bigby and Page perform this work, 3Ir. Baker, Meteorological 

 Assistant, having the general supei-intendence of the department. 



3. Occasional Assistance. — The Meteorological Committee have availed 

 themselves of the permission to have the occasional services of Mr. Beckley, 

 Mechanical Assistant at Xew ; and he has lately been visiting the various 

 Observatories of the Meteorological Committee. 



The self-recording Eain-gauge, as mentioned in the last Heport, has been 

 adopted by the ileteorological Committee, and instruments of this kind have 

 been constructed for the various Observatories. 



A series of comparative observations was commenced in April 1870 of 

 two Anemometers erected in the grounds attached to the Observatory, 

 in order to compare the indications of a large and small instrument ; but as 

 a discussion of the result showed them to have been greatly affected by the 

 influence of the neighbouring buildings, the instruments were dismounted 

 in January last and re-erected in an open part of the Park, at a distance 

 from the Obscrvatorj-. Three months' observations were made in this posi- 

 tion, and as these proved satisfactory, the instruments have been dismounted. 

 The cost of this experiment has been defrayed by the Meteorological 

 Committee. Owing to his duties in Manchester, and to a railway accident. 

 Dr. Stewart has not been able during the last j'car to devote much time 

 to the Observatory. During his absence his most pressing duties were dis- 

 charged by Mr. "Whipple in an efficient manner. 



The Obsei-vatorj- was honoured on the 9th of July b}' a 'vnsit from the 

 Emperor and Empi-ess of Brazil. Their Majesties were received, on behalf 

 of the Committee, by Sir E. Sabine and Mr. W. De La Rue. 



In the unavoidable absence, through illness, of Dr. Balfour Stewart, the 

 Emperor was conducted over the Observatory by the above-named gentlemen, 

 and the various instruments &c. were explained by Mr. Whipple and the 

 other members of the staff of the Observatory. 



