History of the Kew Observatory. 



67 



months ending September 30th, 1875, was prepared and appended to 

 the Report for the year, and has formed a feature of every subsequent 

 annual report. 



The Registering Sunshine Recorder invented by the late Mr. J. F. 

 Campbell, of Islay, F.Gr.S., which had been in operation for about 

 twenty years at the Office of the Local Government Board, 8, 

 Richmond Terrace, Whitehall, was transferred to Kew, and set in 

 action at the Observatory. The instrument consists of a glass sphere 

 and wooden bowl, and the effect is measured by the amount of wood 

 charred by the sun's action in the course of six months. Experiments 

 were set in progress at the Observatory to obtain a satisfactory daily 

 record of the duration of the sun's heating action by a similar method. 



1876. In the previous year Mr. C. S. Peirce, of the United States 

 Coast Survey, had made through the Admiralty an application to the 

 Royal Society to swing his pendulums at the Observatory. Permission 

 was at once granted, and Mr. Peirce arrived at Kew in June, 1876, and 

 as soon as some necessary fittings had been put up in the Pendulum 

 Room he erected his apparatus, and made a complete series of vibrations. 



In 1876, at the request of the Editor of the Times, and at the 

 expense of that journal, the Staff commenced the preparation of a 

 weekly diagram showing the traces of the self-recording meteorological 

 instruments on a reduced scale, together with an epitome of the general 

 features of the weather. This has appeared without intermission from 

 that date. 



The examination and checking of the work of the self-recording 

 Observatories of the Meteorological Committee was discontinued in 

 November. This change of arrangements involved a considerable 

 reduction in the amount allowed by the Meteorological Office to Kew, 

 as its central Observatory. 



1877. Sir Edward Sabine having brought the discussion of the 

 Magnetical Observations carried on under his superintendence in all 

 parts of the globe for a period of nearly forty years, to a close in 

 a final " Contribution," presented to the Royal Society (No. XY, 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 Royal 

 Artillery who had acted as his clerks, and had been in constant attend- 

 ance at Kew since November, 1871. These men were in consequence 

 withdrawn on the 31st of March. 



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

 sented by the War Office to the Royal Society, and, in conformity 

 with instructions received from the Council, are retained in the custody 

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

 been prepared, and a selection made of all those relating to marine 

 observations, which, at the request of the Hydrographer, were trans- 

 ferred to the Hydrographic Department of the Admiralty. 



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