198 REPORT— 1871. 



it has beeu found impossible to state, ■with, any approach to certainty, whence 

 the undulations emanated, or to estimate the intensity of the shocks. It is 

 much to be desired that the additional duty of taking observations of this 

 kind should be undertaken at such stations of the Scottish Meteorological 

 Society as are situated in the districts where earthquakes have been so often 

 experienced. Such a measure, however, would necessitate the adoption of a 

 seismometer of a much simpler construction than that at Comrie, belonging ■ 

 to the Association — one which should occupy a small space, and be little 

 liable to derangement, while capable of recording feeble shocks. Your Com- 

 mittee regrets that the hope expressed in last Eeport, in regard to the con- 

 structing of such an instrument, has not been reahzed ; but they confidently 

 hope that this important object will be accomplished in the course of the 

 coming year. By permission of the Association, communications might then 

 be opened with the Council of the Meteorological Society in regard to their 

 placing such a seismometer at a number of their stations within the areas liable 

 to disturbance, and establishing new stations with this express object where 

 such do not now exist. Such a combined system of observations would bring 

 the various areas ihto close relations with one another, and would possess 

 every advantage over an inquiry limited to a single locality. 



(Signed) James Bktce, M.A., LL.D. 



Report on the best means of providing for a uniformity of Weights and 

 Measures, loith reference to the Interests of Science. By a Com- 

 mittee, consisting of Sir John Bowring, F.R.S., The Right Hon. Sir 

 C. B. Adderley, M.P., Samuel Brown, F.S.S., Dr. Farr, F.R.S., 

 Frank P. Fellowes, Professor Frankland, F.R.S., Professor Hen- 

 NEssY^ F.R.S., James Heywood, F.R.S., Sir Robert Kane, F.R.S., 

 Professor Leone Levi, F.S.A., F.S.S., C. W. Siemens, F.R.S., 

 Colonel Sykes, F.R.S., M.P., Professor A. W. Williamson, F.R.S., 

 James Yai^SjF.R.S., Dr. George Glover, Sir Joseph Whitworth, 

 Bart., F.R.S., J. R. Napier, H. Dircks, J. V. N. Bazalgette, 

 W.Smith, Sir W. Fairbairn, Bart., F.R.S., and John Robinson : — 

 Professor Leone Levi, Secretary. 



YoTJK Committee have much pleasure in reporting that the fifth and last 

 Eeport of the Eoyal Commissioners to inquire into the condition of the 

 Exchequer, now Board of Trade, Standards has now been published, and 

 the general question of uniformity of weights and measures in this and other 

 countries has thus been placed before Her Majesty's Government in all its 

 bearings. Your Committee are much gratified at the large amount of infor- 

 mation the Commissioners have collected on the progress of the Metric System 

 in different countries, and only regret that they did not recommend a bolder 

 course than the 'permissive legislation of its use. The Commissioners, it 

 should be remembered, were not expressly instructed to inquire into the 

 Metric System; but one of the points referred to them being to inquire and 

 report whether amj and ^vhat additions to the existing ofiicial Standards of 

 Weights and Measures are now required, they understood that that involved 

 cexprcssion of their opinion as to the establishment or continued prohi- 



