Report of the Kew Committee for the Year ending 

 October 31, 1887. 



The operations of The Kew Observatory, in the Old Deer Park, 

 Richmond, Surrey, are controlled by the Kew Committee, which is 

 constituted as follows : 



Air. Warren de la Rue, Chairman. 



Captain W. de W. Abney, R.E. 

 Prof. W. G. Adams. 

 Staff-Commander E. W. Creak, 



R.N. 

 Prof. G. C. Foster. 

 Mr. F. Galton. 



Admiral Sir G. H. Richards, 



K.C.B. 

 The Earl of Rosse. 

 Mr. R. H. Scott, 

 Lieut.-Gen. R. Strachey, C.S.I. 

 General J. T. Walker, C.B. 



The Committee regret to announce the death, in July last, of 

 their late member, Lieut. -General W. J. Smythe, R.A. He had held 

 a seat upon the Committee since 1871, but for some years past, owing 

 to his residence in Ireland, he had not been able to take part in their 

 meetings. 



The work at the Observatory may be considered under the fol- 

 lowing heads : — 



1st. Magnetic observations. 

 2nd. Meteorological observations. 

 3rd. Solar observations. 



4th. Experimental, in connexion with any of the above depart- 

 ments. 



5th. Verification of instruments. 



6th. Rating of Watches and Marine Chronometers. 



7th. Miscellaneous. 



I. Magnetic Observations. 



Throughout the past year the magnetographs have worked in a 

 satisfactory manner, and the usual determinations of the scale values 

 of all the instruments were made in January last. 



Owing to the gradual secular change of Declination the distance 

 between the dots of light upon the cylinder of the magnetometer had 

 become too small for satisfactory registration, and in consequence it 



