for the year 1871. xlvii 



department to substitute a mercurial compensation pendulum 

 for the lead and wood compensation hitlierto in use. I 

 am glad to say the suggestion was adopted, and the clock 

 is now furnished, I believe, with the best two seconds 

 pendulum in the world, The going of the clock since the 

 alteration is all that could be desired, and, could the barometer 

 be persuaded to always stand at fSOin., I do not tliink the 

 clock would vary two seconds from the true time from one 

 year's end to the other, the first stroke of the hour beU being 

 usually within two seconds of the true Melbourne time. 



The pendulum is a steel rod 15 ft. 8 in. long, carrying at 

 its lower extremity a cast-iron cylinder 54 in. high, which 

 contains 2101b. mercury. The calculation for the dimensions 

 of the column of mercury contained in a cast iron cylinder 

 were made with great care by Mr. White, the chief assistant 

 at the Observatory, and, so far as can be seen from the 

 changes of temperature that have occurred since the pendulum 

 was erected, the compensation appears perfect. 



On reviewing the progress in science achieved throughout 

 the world generally during the past year, there is little that 

 stands very prominently amidst the year's result. This 

 might easily be without being in any way a sign of relaxing 

 effort, for we must bear in mind that the brain, thews, and 

 sinews of two of the greatest nations in Europe, renowned 

 in arts and sciences, have been absorbed in war. For all 

 this, there are some noteworthy results of observation and 

 research, which may be selected ft'om among the marks of 

 intellectual advancement, one or two of which I would now 

 briefly refer to. 



A total eclipse of the sun occurred in December last. The 

 path of totality passed over the south of Europe, the 

 Mediterranean, and the northern-most part of Africa. The 

 results obtained from the observations of the Indian eclipse 

 in 1868, which I referred to in a former address ; and the 



