46 REPORT — 1900. 



tubies of certain Mathematical Functions. — Reioort of the Committee 

 consisting of Lord Kelvin (Chairman), Lieutenant-Colonel 

 Allan Cunningham, B.JE. {Secretary), Dr. J. W. L. GlaIsher, 

 Professor A. G. Greenhill, Professor W. M. Hicks, Professor A. 

 Lodge, and Major P. A. MacMahon, 11. A., appohitedfor calcidating 

 Tables of certain Mathematical Functions, and, if necessary, for 

 talcing steps to carry but. the calculations, ayid to imhlish the results in 

 alii acc'essible forrn. 



The cost of printing tlie Tables (Binary Canon) was estimated dt l35^. 

 A grant of 75/. only was made d,t the Dover Meeting. As the Tables 

 could not have been printed for this sum, Application Was made to the 

 llOyal Society for a grant in aid, and the Royal Society has granted the 

 remaining sum (60/.) required. The Tables have been put in hand, and 

 jlre now (September) nearly all in type : they should be finished befbre 

 next Meeting. 



Meteorological Ohservations of Ben Nevis. — Report of the Committee, 

 consisting of 'Lovi\.WLk-R-E^, Professor A. Crum Brown (Secretary), 

 Sir John MuRray, Professor Copeland, and Dr. Alexander 

 BtCHAN. (Drawn up by Dr. Buchan.) 



The Committee was appointed as in past years for the purpose of 

 co-operating with the Scottish Meteorological Society in making meteoro- 

 logical observations at the two Ben Nevis Observatories. 



The hour'ly eye observations made by night as Well as by day, which 

 are a specialty of the High Level Observatory, have been made with 

 complete regularity throughout the year by Mr. Rankin and his assistants. 



The health of the staff at the High Level Observatory continued good, 

 and the laborious work of the observations has been carried on without 

 the loss of an hour's observations. The Directors desire to express their 

 hearty thanks to Messrs. T. Affleck, George Ednie, M.A., J. S. Begg, M.A., 

 G. A. S. Tait, R. C. Marshall, and T. Kilgour for the invaluable service 

 they rendered as volunteer observers during the summer of 1899, thus 

 affording to the members of the staff the relief and rest they so much 

 needed. Owing to the war in South Africa some changes took place in 

 the Observatory staff. In October J. Bell, reservist, was called out for 

 service, and subsequently R. M. McDougall and D. Grant left to join the 

 forces. At the Lov/ Level Observatory at Fort William influenza of an 

 acute form for a second time prevailed. But it is gratifying to add that no 

 observations have been lost, and the arrears of copying and computations 

 which necessarily occurred are being gradually worked off. 



The observations at the intermediate station at Ben Nevis were 

 undertaken, single-handed, by Mr. D. W. Wilton. These valuable 

 observations, together with the similar observations made at this station 

 during the previous three summers, are being discussed under the superin- 

 tendence of Mr. Omond. 



The principal results of the observations of 1899 are detailed in 

 Table I. 



