392 



Report of the Kew Observatory Committee. 



of the building and its surroundings, has been drawn up by the 

 Librarian. This is ultimately to be contributed to the meteorological 

 section of an exhibition to be held at Nijni Novgorod in 1896. 



Library. — During the year the library has received publications 

 from — 



31 Scientific Societies and Institutions of Great Britain and 

 Ireland. 



114 Foreign and Colonial Scientific Establishments, as well as 

 from several private individuals. 



Sir Malcolm Eraser, in response to a request to that effect, kindly* 

 presented the library with several back numbers of the Meteoro- 

 logical Report for Western Australia; and M. Perrotin also pre- 

 sented the ' Annales ' of the Mce Observatory. 



Dr. Neumayer has kindly consented to forward regularly the 

 * Annalen der Hydrographie und Maritimen Meteorologie ' of the 

 Deutsche Seewarte, a publication which frequently contains results 

 of magnetic interest. 



On re-examining the manuscripts and papers bequeathed to the 

 Observatory by General Sabine, several books of autograph letters 

 written by leading foreign scientific men were found, amongst others 

 letters from Gauss, Lamont, Regnault, Weber, &c. 



The card catalogue has been proceeded with, sixty-five cards having 

 been entered during the past year. 



Audit, fyc. — The accounts for 1895 have been audited by Mr. Keen r 

 Chartered Accountant, on behalf of the Royal Society, and super- 

 vised by Mr. Francis Galton, on behalf of the Committee. 



The change in the system of book-keeping, referred to in last 

 year's Report, renders impossible the comparison usually made 

 between the expenditure of the year and that of the previous one. 



The Observatory has now an account with the London and County 

 Bank only, having closed its account with the Bank of England. 

 This renders it unnecessary to keep so large a cash balance as 

 previously, and as the balance at the end of 1894 was unusually 

 large, the Committee have been enabled to purchase £900 India 

 3^ per cent, stock. 



A small surplus remaining from the Extension Fund, contributed 

 by Mr. Galton for constructing a fence round the Observatory, has 

 been transferred to the general account. 



