ONMAGNETTC OBSERVATIONS AT FALMOUTH OBSERVATORY. 7!) 



' Summaries of Besults of Geophysical and Meteorological Observa- 

 tions, 1910, ' published by the Meteorological Office in continuation of 

 the reports of the Observatory Department of the National Physical 

 Laboratory. 



A few days of horizontal force trace were lost owing to the breaking— 

 in the end of October — of the suspension of the horizontal force magnet, 

 which had been in use since 1891. Some difficulty was experienced 

 in dealing with the November quiet day records of this element, owing 

 to a tendency in the trace to drift for some time after the new sus- 

 pension was fixed. It was, however, found possible, with the guidance 

 afforded by the Kew curves, to surmount this difficulty, except for the 

 first quiet day of the month. 



The magnetic character of individual days has been decided by Mr. 

 Kitto as in the previous year, and communicated to Dr. van Everdingen 

 of de Bilt for inclusion in the International List. 



The magnetographs at Eskdalemuir have now been arranged to 

 record directly the variations in the Northerly, Westerly, and Vertical 

 components of the magnetic force. Regular tabulation of the curves 

 commenced with January 1, 1911. 



Since 1901 the magnetic work at Ealmouth lias been maintained 

 by grants to the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society from the British 

 Association and the Government Grant Committee amounting to 1001. 

 a year. The grounds put forward for the grants in 1901 and subsequent 

 years were the notification by the Society that unless pecuniary aid 

 were forthcoming the work must cease, and the representation on the 

 part of those interested in Terrestrial Magnetism that the instruments 

 at Kew had been disturbed by electric tramways, that the new 

 observatory at Eskdalemuir was not yet ready to take its place, and 

 that the maintenance of continuous records from undisturbed instru- 

 ments during the transition period was of special importance. 



The observatory at Eskdalemuir is now in operation, and the period 

 of transition must be regarded as coming to an end when the results 

 for the first year of the new observatory are published in 1912. 



So far as the observatory at Falmouth is concerned the situation 

 reverts to the position of 1901. The Society have no funds for the 

 observatory beyond the, 2501. a year contributed by the Meteorological 

 Office for the maintenance of a meteorological station of the first order, 

 and it may be remarked that that sum, even when augmented by 1001. 

 a year for magnetic observations, is not properly adequate for the main- 

 tenance of a separate institution with a scientific staff. The withdrawal 

 of the grant for magnetic work would therefore have consequences 

 beyond the suspension of the magnetic records. 



The Society have been responsible for the maintenance of the obser- 

 vatory since 1868 and for the magnetic work since 1887. They have 

 provided a site and building for these purposes, and are naturally 

 anxious that the work should be continued. They are desirous of 

 making an appeal to Government for funds for the purpose if they have 

 the necessary support on scientific grounds. 



The Committee recognise the advantage of having a magnetic- 

 observatory in the South of England undisturbed by electric trams. And 



