322 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXVII. No. 948 



miles. Her courses are arranged to inter- 

 sect as frequently as possible her own pre- 

 vious tracks, those of the Galilee and those 

 of previous expeditions on which magnetic 

 elements were observed. Valuable cheeks 

 on the determinations of these elements are 

 thus secured, and in case of considerable 

 intervals between the dates of different 

 deteiTninations, data for secular variation 

 of the magnetic elements are also obtained. 

 As related in the report of a year ago, 

 unexpectedly large errors were found in 

 the best magnetic charts of the Indian 

 Ocean and for some parts of the Pacific 

 Ocean. In order that corrections may be 

 speedily applied to such charts the results 

 of the cruises of the Carnegie are promptly 

 made known to the principal hydrographic 

 offices of the world. It is expected that the 

 Carnegie will complete her present circum- 

 navigation of the world near the end of the 

 next fiscal year. 



Observations have been continued simul- 

 taneously on land areas, embracing por- 

 tions of five continents and about twenty 

 different countries. Many noteworthy 

 series of transcontinental stations have 

 now been completed. Of these, one ex- 

 tending across the entire continent of 

 South America, beginning at Para, at the 

 mouth of the Amazon, and extending to 

 Callao on the Pacific coast, by way of the 

 Amazon and Ucayali rivers and Lima, has 

 been finished during the past year. 



The first volume of researches of the 

 department, giving the results of land ob- 

 servations from the time of its establish- 

 ment in 1905 down to the end of the year 

 1910, is now in press. The final computa- 

 tions of the ocean observations made dur- 

 ing the various cruises of the Galilee and 

 the Carnegie are also well advanced for a 

 second volume. Many improvements in 

 instrumental appliances have been made 

 during the year in response to needs and 



suggestions arising from the extensive ex- 

 perience of the department on land and 

 sea. One of the most important of the new 

 appliances devised is that called an "earth 

 inductor," which permits the measurement 

 of the dip of the magnetic needle with in- 

 creased precision and decreased labor over 

 devices previously used. An attempt is 

 now being made to apply this apparatus, 

 which has proved completely successful on 

 land, to the determination of dips on the 

 Ca7-negie. 



Solar Observatory 



The past year has been one of minimum 

 sun-spot activity ; but effective progress has 

 been made in many other branches of solar 

 and stellar research undertaken by the ob- 

 servatory. The wide range of this work 

 may be indicated by the fact that the re- 

 sults of the investigations of the year are 

 summarized by the director under thirty- 

 five different heads. The new tower tele- 

 scope has been completed and important 

 auxiliary apparatus has been added to the 

 equipment of the 60-inch reflector. A fire- 

 proof office building, which will afford ade- 

 quate quarters for the staff and safety for 

 the original records and photographic 

 plates of the observatory, has been con- 

 structed and made ready for occupancy 

 during the year. 



The 150-foot tower telescope with its 

 spectrograph and spectroheliograph has 

 been tested and found to be quite up to 

 expectations. The 60-inch reflector has 

 proved increasingly effective in the wide 

 variety of work undertaken with it. Be- 

 tween forty and fifty new spectroscopic 

 double stars have been found ; and amongst 

 the many stars whose radial velocities have 

 been measured is one which surpasses all 

 other hitherto observed, its velocity being 

 about 150 miles per second. 



Two eminent research associates, namely, 



