462 



Report of the Kew Committee. 



The monthly observations with the absolute instruments have been 

 continued as usual by Mr. Eigg, and the results are given in the Tables 

 appended to this Eeport. A re-determination of the moment of inertia of 

 the magnet KC 1 was made in October ; the value accorded with the pre- 

 viously found amount. 



A paper " On the Temperature-correction and Induction- coefficients of 

 Magnets," as determined in the results of various experiments at the 

 Observatory, was read before the Eoyal Society, and printed in vol. xxvi. 

 of the ' Proceedings.' 



Sir Edward Sabine having brought the discussion of the Magnetical 

 Observations carried on under his superintendence to a close in a final 

 " Contribution," presented to the Royal Society (No. XV., Phil. Trans, 

 vol. 167), represented to the War Office that he was able to dispense 

 with the further services of the two Sergeants of the feoyal Artillery who 

 had acted as his clerks. These men were in consequence withdrawn on 

 the 31st of March. 



The documents deposited in Sir E. Sabine's late office have been pre- 

 sented by the " War Office " to the " Eoyal Society," and, in conformity 

 with instructions received from the Council, will be retained in the cus- 

 tody of the Observatory. A detailed list of these documents and papers 

 is now in course of preparation. 



The tabulation of the magnetic curves, which was suspended at the 

 time of writing the last Eeport, has been resumed, and Tables of the 

 Declination have been completed as far as December 31st, 1876. 



At the request of Prof. Balfour Stewart, the range of the declination- 

 needle has been determined for every day during the years 1858-73 

 inclusive. The results have been discussed by him in a paper read before 

 the Eoyal Society, March 22, 1877, entitled, "On the Variations of 

 the Daily Eange of the Magnetic Declination as recorded at the Kew 

 Observatory," Proc. Eoy. Soc. vol. xxvi. 



In addition, magnetic data have been supplied to Dr. Atkinson, Prof. 

 M'Leod, the Hydrographic Department, Messrs. Gee, Grove, and 

 Groenman. 



The officers attached to the late Arctic Expedition have visited the 

 Observatory, and made several sets of observations with the instruments 

 employed by them on their voyage, Kew being the base station to which 

 all their observations are referred. 



The Committee have received, with great satisfaction, a communication 

 from Mr. E. Ellery, E.E.S., of the Melbourne Observatory, in which he 

 states that, in deference to the opinions elicited by the circular , of the 

 Kew Committee from the chief authorities on terrestrial magnetism, as 

 explained in last Eeport, the Government of Victoria has furnished funds 

 for the erection of a new Magnetic Observatory at Melbourne. 



Meteorological Work. — The several self -recording instruments for the 

 continuous registration respectively of pressure, temperature, humidity, 



