386 



Report of the Kew Observatory Committee. 



led to no certain conclusion. It only appeared that if any error 

 existed it must be small. 



Mlectrograph. — The performance of this instrument throughout the 

 year has not been satisfactory. Some twenty-seven days' records 

 were lost in January and February through stoppage by the frost, 

 and for about forty-five days in July and August the instrument was 

 out of action. Towards the end of the year the performance was 

 generally unsatisfactory. After a good deal of fruitless investiga- 

 tion as to causes affecting the scale value, the insulation in the 

 quadrant electrometer and the water-dropper can, the defect has been 

 traced to a gradual deterioration in the insulation of the wire con- 

 necting the can with the electrometer. Action is contemplated 

 which will reduce in future the chance of such a misadventure. 



On June 11 the instrument was dismounted, old acid removed, and 

 a new suspension, with almost parallel sides, fitted up in order to 

 widen out the scale. 



Determinations of the scale value were made on April 5, May 28, 

 June 11, and November 27 by direct comparison with the Portable 

 Electrometer, White 53. 



This latter instrument was sent to White, of Glasgow, in Decem- 

 ber, 1894, to have a new torsion suspension fitted, and to be generally 

 overhauled. 



After its return from the maker the value of its scale was kindly 

 determined by Professor Carey Foster at University College Labora- 

 tory, and the mean value for one division found to be 290 volts, and 

 this new value has been employed in obtaining the scale-figures for 

 the self-recording instrument. 



Inspections. — In compliance with the request of the Meteorological 

 Council, the following Observatories and Anemograph Stations have 

 been visited and inspected : — Radcliffe Observatory (Oxford) by 

 Dr. Chree; Stony hurst, Armagh, Valencia, Fleetwood, Falmouth, 

 and Dublin by Mr. Baker ; and Yarmouth, North Shields, Alnwick 

 Castle, Fort William, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Deerness (Orkney) 

 by Mr. Constable. 



III. Solar Observations. 



Sun-spots. — Sketches of Sun-spots have been made on 159 days, and 

 the groups numbered, after Schwabe's method. 



Particulars will be found in Appendix II, Table IV. 



IV. Experimental Work. 



Fog and Mist. — The observations of a series of distant objects, 

 referred to in the last Report, have been continued. A note is taken 



