REPORT OF THE KEW COMMITTEE. 



xlix 



torily completed ; but while they ■were iu progress the pressure of the outer 

 atmosphere shattered the receiver into a number of pieces, fortunately without 

 any injury to the experimenters. 



Another receiver has now been made, and it is purposed in future to use 

 it with a cover. 



A Transit instrument has been lent to Mr. G. J. Symons, and one Sextant 

 has been verified. 



(B) "WoEK DONE AT KeW AS THE CENTRAL OBSERVATORY OF THE 



Meteorological Committee. 



It is stated in the Eeport for 1867 that the Meteorological Committee had 

 appointed Mr. Balfour Stewart as their Secretary, on the understanding that 

 he should, with the concurrence of the Kew Committee, retain his office of 

 Superintendent of the Kew Observator}^ 



On the 8th October, 1869, Mr. Stewart resigned his appointment as Secre- 

 tary to the Meteorological Committee and Director of their Central Obser- 

 vatory — a step which took effect on 31st of March, 1870, and which was 

 followed by a modification of the relation between the two Committees. 



The Meteorological Committee, at their Meeting on 12th November, 1869, 

 resolved that they were prepared to make the following proposals to the 

 Council of the British Association : — 



I. That Kew be continued as one of the ordinary self-recording observa- 

 tories, in which case the Committee would bo prepared to allot to it annu- 

 ally £250 ; or, 



II. In addition to the foregoing work, that Kew be maintained as the 

 central observatory for examination of records and tabulations from all the 

 other observatories, in which case the Committee will be prepared to allot a 

 further annual sum of £400. 



The Kew Committee having been furnished with this resolution of the 

 Meteorological Committee, resolved that it bo recommended to the Council 

 of the British Association that Kew be continued for the next two years as 

 one of the ordinary self-recording observatories of the Meteorological Com- 

 mittee, that body allowing it annually £250 ; and that, in addition, it bo 

 maintained as the central observatory for the examination of the records and 

 tabulations from all the other observatories, for the further sum of .£400 per 

 annum. This arrangement was approved by the Council ; and it was there- 

 upon resolved by the Kew Committee, that out of the £650 received from the 

 Meteorological Committee, £200 be given to Mr. Stewart for superintending 

 the meteorological work of the Observatory, this resolution to take efi'ect after 

 31st March, 1870. 



1. Work clone at Kew as one of tJie Observatories of the Meteorological Com- 

 mittee. — The Barograph, Thermograph, and Anemograph furnished by the 

 Meteorological Committee are kept in constant operation. Mr. Baker is in 

 charge of these instruments. From the first two instruments traces in du- 

 plicate are obtained, one set being sent to the Meteorological Office and one 

 retained at Kew ; as regards the Anemograph, the original records are sent, 

 while a copy by hand of these on tracing-paper is retained. The tabulations 

 from the curves of the Kew instrument are made by Messrs. Baker, Page, 

 and Foster. 



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

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

 Observatories continues to be followed, the only alteration being that the Kew 



1870. d 



