95 
By the help of Sterneck’s new pendulum apparatus, which is 
already in use in many countries, it is possible to aspire to the 
attainment of this object with a prospect of success, as observations 
are materially simplified and yet possess very great accuracy and 
can be easily made everywhere, even at places which are difficult of 
access. 
With this apparatus it was practicable, quite recently, for the 
Vienna Military-Geographical Institute to carry out in Austro- 
Hungary the first detailed investigations on the distribution of 
gravity in various soils and geological formations. 
A series of several hundred closely connected gravity stations 
was established in the Alps, the Carpathians, the Hungarian low- 
lands, the Bihar mountains, and other interesting localities, and 
by this means many important and interesting results relating to 
the distribution of gravity were obtained. 
The existence both of deficiency and of excess of mass beneath 
the surface of the earth was proved; systematic differences of gray- 
ity over primary formations and sedimentary deposits were discov- 
ered, etc. 
Every individual result which is relatively easily and quickly 
obtainable in this yet unexplored domain is interesting, instructive 
and important, not only as regards geodesy, but also for terrestrial 
physics and geology; in fact, the pendulum may, at the present 
day, be regarded as an indispensable geological instrument. 
Instruments of this pattern are already supplied in great numbers 
from Vienna to several countries; the constants of each, and the 
vibration times of the pendulums, are accurately determined at the 
place, in Vienna, where Oppolzer has very accurately determined 
the absolute value of gravity. By this means, a great uniformity 
of results is effected. 
Within a short time, our knowledge of these and similar condi- 
tions will certainly be more definite if similar detailed experiments 
are carried out at different places in several countries, which may 
shortly be expected. By these means we shall, for the first time, 
be in a position to utilize properly the numerous data distributed 
over the whole earth. 
This is the most essential task at the present day; for the mate- 
rials inherited from our predecessors since the commencement of 
the present century are far too scanty and are not always strictly 
comparable with each other. 
