54 REPORT 1901. 



and these are sufficiently large to make the last two figures in the delicate 

 micrometer measurements almost useless. 



I hope to reduce this motion of the oil by making the holes through 

 which it enters and leaves the vessels sufficiently small to damp the oscil- 

 latory movement without preventing the oil finding its own level. 



A similar instrument fixed to the rock at a place where there is no 

 Fault would give a delicate and accurate method of measuring these slow 

 earth-tilts. 



Tables of Certain Mathematical Functions. — Report of tite Committee, 

 consisting of Lord Kelvin (Chairman), Lieutenant-Colonel 

 Allan Cunningham, R.E. (Secretary), Dr. J. W. L. Glaisher, 

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

 Lodge, and Major P. A. MacMahon, B.A., appointed for calculating 

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

 taking steps to carry out the calculations, and to publish the results in 

 an accessible form. 



The printing of the ' Binary Canon ' was finished at end of last year. 

 The work, as printed ofl', has been read again with the MS. ; a list of the 

 few misprints discovered has been issued with the volume. The edition 

 is 250 copies, of which 100 have been bound. Arrangements have been 

 made with Messrs. Taylor & Francis, of Red Lion Court, Fleet Street, for 

 publication on the usual terms : the sale price will be 15s. About thirty- 

 six presentation copies have been given away to various public bodies, to 

 reviewers, and to those concerned in the work itself. The whole of the 

 grants received (751. from the British Association and 601. from the 

 Royal Society of London), total 135^., has been expended. 



The Committee wish now to recommend that a large set of new tables 

 of Quadratic Partitions, prepared by Colonel A. Cunningham (for the 

 checking of which a grant of 30/. has already been made by the Royal 

 Society of London), should be published by the British Association, and 

 hereby apply for a grant of 80Z. for the same. 



Meteorological Observations on Ben Nevis. — tieport tf the Committee, 

 consisting of Lord M'Laren, Professor A. Crum Brown (Secretary), 

 Sir John Murray, Professor R, Copeland, and Dr. Alexander 

 BuCHAN. (Brawn vp by Dr. Buchan.) 



The Committee are appointed for the purpose of co-operating with the 

 Scottish Meteorological Society in making meteoi'ological observations at 

 the two Ben Nevis Observatories. 



The hourly eye observations, made by night as well as by day, have 

 been T-egularly made by Mr. Angus Rankin, the superintendent and his 

 assistants. 



The health of the observers has continued good since last report, with 

 the exception of Mr. Rankin, who has not yet quite recovered from the 

 two severe attacks of influenza he has had. The directors desire to ex- 

 press their cordial thanks to Messrs. W. Gentle, R. C. Marshall, and 

 T. Affleck for the invaluable services they rendered last summer as volun- 

 teer observers, thus rendering it possible to give the members of the staff 

 the rest they need from their arduous work. 



