Report of the Kew Committee. 



461 



Beport of the Kew Committee for the Year ending 

 October 31, 1877. 



The Committee would commence their Report with the expression of 

 their heartfelt regret at the decease of Mr. J. P. Grassiot, who had been, 

 since 1851, among the most active Members of the successive Kew Com- 

 mittees, first of the British Association, and latterly of the Royal Society. 

 Mr. Grassiot had not only devoted freely to the management of Kew Obser- 

 vatory a large portion of his valuable time, but also had, in 1871, most 

 munificently endowed the establishment with the sum of <£10,000 Italian 

 Irrigation Stock, for the purpose of maintaining in a state of thorough 

 efficiency the self-recording observations in terrestrial magnetism and in 

 meteorology. 



Committee. — The Committee is constituted as follows : — 

 General Sir E. Sabine, K.C.B., Chairman. 



Mr. De La Rue, Vice-Chairman. 

 Capt. Evans. 

 Mr. E. Galton. 



Vice-Adm. Sir G\ H. Richards. 

 The Earl of Rosse. 



Mr. R. H. Scott. 

 Lieut.- General W. J. Smythe. 

 Lieut.-Greneral Strachey. 

 Mr. E. Walker. 



Mr. R. H. Scott, at his own request, has been for the future relieved 

 of the duties of Hon. Secretary, which he has performed ever since the 

 Observatory came under the management of the Royal Society, and the 

 duties of that post will be in future discharged by the Superintendent. 



Magnetic Work. — The Magnetographs have been in constant operation 

 throughout the year. The declination instrument was slightly deranged 

 for a short period by the presence of some extremely minute organic fibres 

 between the mirrors. In accordance with the usual practice, determina- 

 tions of the scale-values of all the instruments were made in the first week 

 of the new year. 



The inconvenience occasionally experienced by the dropping, on to the 

 Magnetographs, of water condensed in the smoke-tubes over the gas- 

 burners has been obviated by the attachment of suitable catch-bottles. 



