316 



Report of the Kew Committee. 



Batavia, Colaba, Lisbon, Mauritius, Melbourne, Paris, Stonyhurst, 

 and Zi-ka-wei have been carefully compared with each other, and a 

 report thereon will shortly be submitted to the Committee. 



II. Meteorological Observations. 



The several self-recording instruments for the continuous registra- 

 tion respectively of atmospheric pressure, temperature, and humidity, 

 wind (direction and velocity), bright sunshine, and rain, have been 

 maintained in regular operation throughout the year. 



In February the barometer tube was removed for a short time 

 from the barograph, and a carefully divided glass scale substituted in 

 its place, which was then photographed with the view of re-deter- 

 mining the scale value of the instrument, and also of measuring the 

 amount of distortion the curve undergoes by shrinkage of the 

 gelatinized paper during the photographic operations, to which it 

 is subjected, subsequent to its reception of the luminous image. 



In September the action of the barograph was observed to be some- 

 what sluggish, and an examination of the instrument showed an 

 obstruction of the air-vent in the cistern due to an accumulation of 

 dust. This was removed, and there has since been no want of 

 sensitiveness on the part of the barometer. 



The standard eye observations for the control of the automatic 

 records have been duly registered during the year, together with the 

 daily observations in connexion with the U.S. Signal Service 

 synchronous system. A summary of these observations is given in 

 Appendix II. 



The tabulation of the meteorological traces has been regularly 

 carried on, and copies of these, as well as of the eye observations, 

 with notes of weather, cloud, and sunshine have been transmitted 

 as usual to the Meteorological Office. 



The following is a summary of the number of meteorological obser- 



vations made during the past year : — 



Readings of standard barometer 1750 



,, dry and wet thermometers 3460 



maximum and minimum thermo- 

 meters 730 



,, radiation thermometers 2825 



„ rain gauges 730 



Cloud and weather observations 1825 



Measurements of barograph curves 8760 



,, dry bulb thermograph curves . . 9490 



,, wet bulb thermograph curves. . 8760 



,, wind (direction and velocity). . 17520 



„ rainfall curves 680 



,, sunshine traces 2079 



