REPORT OF THE KEW COMMITTEE. xlvii 



time according to Hofrath Scliwabe's plan, and for publishing the results 

 annually. 



A minute comparison of the records of Hofrath Schwabe with the simul- 

 taneous photographic records at Kew has revealed the great trustworthiness 

 of his drawings, which are at present in the possession of Kew Observatory. 

 The proposed communication ah-eady alluded to as representing the spotted 

 area of the sun during three complete solar periods is thus rendered possible ; 

 and whUe it is imagined that by this means a valuable record of the past will 

 be obtained, it is hoped that the interest now displayed in solar research will 

 secure the uninterrupted continuance of such a record for the future. 



4. Miscellaneous work. — The Superintendent has recently received a grant 

 of £60 from the Government-Grant Committee of the Eoyal Society for the 

 purpose of continuing certain experiments by Prof. Tait and himself on the 

 rotation of a disk {)i vacuo ; and means are iu progress for obtaining a nearly 

 perfect vacuum, Mr. Beckley, Mechanical Assistant at Kew, having devised 

 an apparatus for this purpose. 



An account of preliminary observations made with Eater's pendulum by 

 the Superintendent, in conjimction with Mr. B. Loewy, has been communi- 

 cated to the Eoyal Society. 



The instrument devised by Mr. Broun for the purpose of estimating the 

 magnetic dip by means of soft iron, constructed at the expense of the British 

 Association, remains at present at the Observatory awaiting Mr. Broun's 

 return to England. 



The Observatory was honoured on June 25th by a visit from the eminent 

 French chemist, M. Dumas, permanent Secretary of the Imperial Academy 

 of Sciences, Paris, accompanied by M. Herve-Mangon. 



(B) Work done at Kew as the Central Observatory op the 

 Meteorological Committee. 



_ The relation between the two Committees, the Kew and the Meteorolo- 

 gical, has during the last year been definitely settled. 



The Kew Committee have undertaken to maintain the self-recording in- 

 struments belonging to the Meteorological Committee in regular operation at 

 Kew, to tabulate from the traces, and to forward the traces and tabulations 

 once a month to the central office of the Meteorological Committee in London, 

 where they will be finally reduced, under the supervision of the Director of 

 that office. They have also sanctioned the employment of such assistance 

 by Mr, Stewart as may be necessary to enable him to examine the records 

 which arrive from the various outlying observatories of the Meteorological 

 Committee iu accordance with a plan which has been approved by that body. 

 Once a week, therefore, documents from these various observatories arrive at 

 Kew, and about the middle of each month the documents for all the obser- 

 vatories (including Kew) for the previous month, after having been well 

 examined, are forwarded to the Meteorological Office with a few remarks, 

 which are printed in the Minutes of tlie Meteorological Committee. 



Besides these duties which they have undertaken, the Kew Committee are 

 glad to render the Meteorological Committee any occasional assistance which 

 it may be in their power to bestow. 



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

 mittee. — This consists in keeping in constant operation the Barograph, Ther- 

 mograph, and Anemograph furnished by the Meteorological Committee. Mr, 

 Baker is in charge of these instruments. From the fii'st two of these instru- 



