Report of the Kew Committee. 



2,21 



constructed for the purpose at Westwood House, Cahirciveen, the new 

 Valencia Observatory. The removal was successfully accomplished 

 with only one breakage, that of the wet-bulb reference thermometer. 

 Before leaving, Mr. Whipple made careful determinations of the level 

 of the barometer at the new station, the heights of anemometer cups, 

 rain gauges, and thermometers above ground, re-determined index 

 errors, &c. 



At the request of the Meteorological Council, Mr. Baker visited 

 the Glasgow Observatory in April, taking with him three new 

 thermograph, tubes and two Kew standard thermometers of reference, 

 in order to replace instruments which bad been maliciously broken. 



Electro graph. — This instrument was kept in action until the end of 

 July, when it was dismounted to prevent possible damage during the 

 building operations connected with the extension of the west wing of 

 the Observatory. The scale value was determined by direct com- 

 parison with the portable electrometer, No. 53, early in May anc^ at 

 the end of June. On the completion of the building, the instru- 

 ment being in a somewhat inconvenient spot, rendering dislocation 

 possible, it was decided to remove it to a safer position, which was 

 rendered accessible by the alterations to the thermograph room. The 

 water reservoir, however, was not moved, as this might perhaps have 

 interfered with the continuity of the records, and it is intended to 

 commence again the regular records with the beginning of 1893. 



III. Solar Observations. 



Sun-spots. — Sketches of Sun-spots have been made on 178 days, and 

 the groups numbered after Schwabe's method. 



On no occasion during the year, when observations have beeu 

 taken, has the Sun's surface been found free from spots, and the 

 number of new groups enumerated has largely increased. 



Time Signals. — These have been regularly received from Greenwich 

 through the G.P.O., with the exception of a few days, on which 

 occasions supplementary signals were transmitted at later hours, and 

 a list of time corrections sent when required. 



Transit Observation. — Occasional solar and sidereal transits have 

 been observed as checks upon the Greenwich signalled times. 



Violle's Actinometer. — With regard to these instruments, the only 

 observations made during the past year were experiments to deter- 

 mine the rate of cooling both of the spheres and the thermometers 

 used in connection with them. The weight of each sphere also was 

 determined when filled with water. The results were forwarded to 

 Mr. H. F. Blanford, F.R.S., who had undertaken to investigate the 

 subject for the Solar Physics Committee. 



