102 



Report of the Kew Observatory Committee. 



The number of instruments rejected in 1895 and 189G on account 

 of excessive error or for other reasons was as follows : — 



1895. 1896. 



Thermometers, clinical 195 161 



ordinary meteorological 48 56 



Sextants , 83 79 



Telescopes 10 30 



Various 38 43 



Five Standard Thermometers have been supplied during the year. 



There were at the end of the year in the Observatory undergoing 

 verification 10 Barometers, 962 Thermometers, 22 Sextants, 30 

 Hydrometers, 2 Air Meters, and 1 Sunshine Recorder. 



VI. Rating of Watches and Chronometers. 



The high standard of excellence to which attention was drawn in 

 last year's Report has been fully maintained, and there has been a 

 marked increase in the number of watches which have obtained the 

 highest possible form of certificate — the class A especially good — 

 (involving the attainment of 80 per cent, of the total, marks), no less 

 than 96 being so classed. 



The 583 watches received were entered for trial as below : — 



For class A, 400 ; class B, 115 ; class C, 50 ; and 18 for the subsi- 

 diary trial. Of these 14 passed the subsidiary test, 118 failed from 

 various causes to gain any certificate ; 25 were awarded class C 

 certificates, 111 class B, and 315 class A; of the latter, 96 obtained 

 the highest form of certificate, class A, especially good. 



In Appendix III will be found a table giving the results of trial 

 of the 96 watches which gained the highest number of marks during 

 the year. The first place was taken by Messrs. Stauffer, Son, & Co., 

 London, with a keyless, going-barrel, chronometer- watch, No. 147,545, 

 with the " Tourbillon " escapement, which obtained 89'4 marks out of 

 a maximum of 100. The performance of the first 4 watches on 

 the list, embracing 1 " Tourbillon " movement, 2 Bar-levers, and 1 

 "Karrusel," is very fine, and the marks obtained are unusually close. 



Owing to considerations of space, it is intended to publish in 

 future annual Reports particulars as to the first 50 watches only 

 which come up to the standard of 80 marks and over. If a 

 larger number should reach that standard, they will be mentioned in 

 a full list which wdll be sent for publication to the horological 

 journals. 



It is intended shortly to suspend the class test for watches. 



