Ninth Annual Report. 515 
The monthly returns from these stations are forwarded to the Head 
Missis and au abstract of the whole prepared each month for publication in 
the New Zealand Gazette. The biennial Report for 1873-74 has been issued 
in the pamphlet form, and the same Report for 1875-76 is being prepared. 
The Results of Meteorological Observations taken at all the Stations in New 
Zealand, for 1876, have been printed, and ineorporated with the Registrar 
General's Statistics for that year. 
A monthly report is also furnished of the climate at six of the principal 
stations, for publication with the monthly vital statistics. A return, giving 
the daily meteorological readings, with averages and remarks, for the Head 
Office at Wellington, is printed monthly in the newspapers. The usual 
abstract of the climate of New Zealand for 1876 has been supplied for Vol. 
IX. of the Transactions of the New Zealand Institute. 
AstronomicaL.—Time BALL OBSERVATORY. 
The Observatory is in good order, the astronomical clock being now in 
an excellent state of adjustment, with a steady rate. All the other instru- 
ments are in good condition. Rating time is given to the shipping by the 
starting clock and time-ball at least once a week at Wellington, due notice 
being given in the morning papers. Mean time is also transmitted to 
Lyttelton ; but, as it is not by the automatic clock, the same accuracy 
cannot be obtained 
The observations are, as hitherto, chiefly taken by the Ven. Archdeacon 
Stock, B.A., assisted by Mr. J. Kebbell, who is a most skilful and 
enthusiastic amateur. 
The only extra work at the Observatory during the past year was the 
search for the supposed intra-mercurial planet, which was made at the 
request of the Astronomer Royal, and in which I had the cordial assistance 
of Mr. W. T. L. Travers, F.L.8., and Mr. J. Newton Coleridge, C.E., 
whose experience, as amateur photographers, was of great service on such 
an occasion. 
LABORATORY, 
The following is a summary of analyses performed in the Colonial 
Laboratory during the past year :— 
Analyses. 
1. Coals d. SR d ue ME 
2. Rocks and Minerua i a s uc o Ta 
3. Metals and Ores i ii e B8 
4. Examination for Gold and Silver re ae M 
5. Waters sie se icc A 
6. Miscellaneous m. 0 sis x ue 
