1882.] 



Report of the Kew Committee, 



343 



Report of the Kew Committee for the Year ending 

 October 31, 1882. 



The operations of the Kew Observatory, in the Old Deer Park, 

 Richmond, Surrey, are controlled by the Kew Committee, which is 

 constituted as follows : 



General Sir E. Sabine, K.C.B., Chairman. 



Mr. De La Rue, Vice- Chairman. 

 Capt. W. de W. Abney, RE. 

 Prof. W. G. Adams. 

 Capt. Sir P. Evans, K.C.B. 

 Prof. G. C. Foster. 

 Mr. F. Galton. 



Vice-Adm. Sir G. H. Richards, 

 C.B. 



The Earl of Rosse. 



Mr. R. H. Scott. 



Lieut.- General W. J. Smythe. 



Lieut.-Gen. R. Strachey, C.S.I. 



Mr. E. Walker. 



The work at the Observatory may be considered under seven 

 heads : — 



1st. Magnetic observations. 

 2nd. Meteorological observations. 

 3rd. Solar observations. 



4th. Experimental, in connexion with any of the above depart- 

 ments. 



5th. Verification of instruments. 

 6th. Aid to other Observatories. 

 7th. Miscellaneous and financial. 



I. Magnetic Obsekvations. 



The Magnetographs have been in constant operation throughout 

 the year. 



In March a new suspension pulley was fitted to the Bifilar magnet 

 in order to reduce the distance between the suspension wires from 6 - 8 

 millims. to 5*5 millims., and thus to increase the sensibility of the 

 instrument. This change was recommended by Professor W. G. 

 Adams, in order to make the scale-value about *0005 millim. mgrm. 

 for 1 millim., as suggested in his Report to the British Association 

 last year. Dr. Wild, of St. Petersburgh, also recommends that all 

 observatories should adopt as far as possible the same uniform scale 



VOL. XXXIV. 2 A 



