Report of the Kew Committee. 



371 



The tabulation of the magnetic curves, alluded to in the last Eeport as 

 being iuarrear, for the years 1871-73 was almost completed when it was 

 stopped in May by the resignation of the extra assistant appointed for 

 that work. The vacancy has not yet been fiUed, and the work, together 

 with the measurement of the recent curves, is at present suspended. 



Magnetic data have been supphed to Prof. Barrett, Prof. Core, Messrs. 

 Elliott Brothers, Mr. Gordon, Dr. Gruthrie, ^the Hydrographic Office, 

 Prof. Balfour Stewart, Dr. Marshall Watts, and Mr. H. Watts. 



The Unifilar, Declinometer, and Azimuth Compass used by Captains 

 Anderson and Peatherstonhaugh, of the Eoyal Engineers, during their 

 operations in the jNTorth-American Boundary Commission, have been 

 returned to Store in the Observatory, and the observations made with 

 them having been examined, will be embodied in a paper shortly to be 

 presented to the E-oyal Society. 



Captain Maclear, E-IN"., has visited the Observatory, and, assisted by 

 the Staff, redetermined the constants of the magnetic instruments used 

 by him during the ' Challenger ' Expedition, thus completing the obser- 

 vations by making Kew the base station of the voyage. 



A communication having been made to the Committee b}^ Mr. E. J. 

 Ellery, Director of the Melbourne Observatory, requesting an expression 

 of opinion from them as to the desirability of continuing the photo- 

 graphic registration of the magnetometers at his Observatory, and asking 

 also for suggestions for dealing with the results obtained, a circular was 

 drawn up, and replies to it were received from the following gentlemen : — 



Prof. J. C. Adams. 



Prof. "W. O. Adams. 



Prof. Buys Ballot. 



J. A. Broun, Esq. 



Captain E. J. O. Evans. 



Prof. C. Hornstein. 



Dr. C. Jelinek. 



Prof. J. V. Lamont. 



Eev. H. Lloyd, D.D. 



Eev. E. Main. 



C. Meldrum, Esq. 



Major-General W. J. Smythe. 



Prof. Balfour Stewart. 



Prof. O. G-. Stokes. 



Prof. H. Wild. 



Most of whom strongly advocate the continuance of self-recording mag- 

 netometers in Victoria. 



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

 continuous registration respectively of pressure, temperature, humidity, 

 wind (direction and velocity), and rain have been maintained in regular 



