120 EEPOET— 1893. 



In connexion with the subject we have a paper, 'A Table of the 

 Square Roota of Prime Numbers of the form 4to+1 less than 10000 

 expanded as Periodic Continued Fractions,' by C. A. Roberts, with Intro- 

 duction and Explanation by Artemas Martin, the 'Mathematical Magazine,' 

 vol. ii. (No. 7, for October 1892), pp. 105-120. This extends, in fact, to 

 numbers up to 10501, but only the denominators of the continued frac- 

 tions (that is, the first lines of Degen's and the present table) are given : 

 thus the entry for 1009 is 31 ; 1, (3, 3). 



The paper just referred to notices errors in Degen's tables for the 

 numbers 853 and 929. For 853 the first line should be 



29,4,1,5,1,2,4,1,1,15,19,(2,2) 



(l5 instead of Degen's 14). For 929 the first and second lines should be 



30, 2,11, 1, 2, 3, 2,7, 5, (2, 2) 

 1, 29, 5, 40, 19, 16, 25, 8, 11, (23, 23) 



The values of a', y in Table I. and those in Table II. (for the solution 

 of ?/2=aa^ — 1) are correct for each of the numbers 853 and 929. 



On the Establishment of a National Physical Laboratory. — Report 

 of the Committee, consisting of Professor Oliver J, Lodge 

 {Chairman), Mr. E. T. Glazebeook {Secretary), Lord Kelvin, 

 Lord Rayleigh, Sir H. E. Eoscoe, Professors J. J. Thomson, 

 A. W. Eucker, E. B. Clifton, G. F. FitzOerald, G. Carey 

 Foster, J. Viriamu Jones, A. Schuster, and W. E. Ayrton. 



The Committee hoped to have been able to present a report dealing with 

 the work done at the Reichsanstalt in Berlin and the Bureau Inter- 

 national at Sevres. They have not, however, been able to prepare this 

 report in time for the meeting, and they desire to be reappointed to 

 continue their investigations. 



The Best Means of Comparing and Reducing Magnetic Observa- 

 tions. — Interim Report of the Committee, consisting of Professor 

 W. Getlls Adams {Chairman and Secretary), Lord Kelvin, 

 Professors G. H, Darwin and G. Chetstal, Mr. C!. H. Carpmael, 

 Professor A. Schustee, Mr. G. M. Whipple, Captain Cbeak, The 

 AsTRONOMEE EoYAL, Mr. WiLLiAM Ellis, and Professor A. W. 



EiJCKEE. 



The Committee have considered and reported to the Admiralty on plans, 

 submitted to them by Mr. Gill, for a Magnetic Observatory at the Cape 

 of Good Hope. In conjunction with Mr. Gill, they have drawn up a 

 scheme embodying their recommendations as to its establishment and 

 maintenance, which has been laid before, and is under the consideration 

 of, the Admiralty. 



The Committee desire to be reappointed, with the addition of Mr. 

 Charles Chree in the place of the late Mr, G. M. Whipple. 



