1879.] 



Report of the Kew Committee. 



445 



Report of the Kew Committee for the Year ending 

 October 31, 1879. 



The Kew Committee has been increased by one new member, Lieu- 

 tenant- General Sir J. H. Lefroy, K.C.M.G.,- during the past year, and 

 is now constituted as follows : — 



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



Mr. De La Rue, Vice- Chairman. 

 Prof. W. G. Adams. 

 Capt. F. Evans, C.B. 

 Prof. G. C. Foster. 

 Mr. F. Galton. 



Lieut. -Gen. Sir J. H. Lefroy, 

 K.C.M.G. 



Vice-Adm. Sir G. H. Richards. 



The Earl of Rosse. 



Mr. R. H. Scott. 



Lieut.- General W. J. Smythe. 



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



Mr. E. Walker,. 



Magnetic Work. — No change has been made in the Magnetographs, 

 which have worked continuously during the year. The curves ob- 

 tained have been, as a rule, devoid of interest, no disturbance of note 

 having been registered for some time. 



Owing to wear, the vertical force cylinder bearing has become loose 

 in its seat, and it will be necessary shortly to make a new fitting for it. 



In consequence of the illness of some of the members of the Sub- 

 Committee mentioned in the last report, as appointed to consider the 

 best means of utilising the accumulated records of the Magnetographs, 

 no decision has yet been arrived at in the matter. 



At the request of Professor Balfour Stewart the absolute diurnal 

 range of the declination needle has been determined tor every day for 

 the period 1858 to 1873. 



The scale values of all the instruments were re-determined in 

 January, in accordance with the usual practice. 



The monthly observations with the absolute instruments have been 

 made regularly by Mr. Figg, and the results are given in the tables 

 forming Appendix I of this report. 



The magnetic instruments have been studied and a knowledge of 

 their manipulation obtained by Mr. D. Gill, the Astronomer Royal at 

 the Cape of Good Hope, and Mr. H. I. Bell, the recently appointed 

 Assistant to the Royal Alfred Observatory, Mauritius. 



