IVIE. C. V. WAXKEE ON MAGNETIC STOEMS AND EAETH-CIJEEENTS. 
113 
On referring to such of the Greenwich photograms as are before me, I have selected 
those portions of the curves that show extreme departures from the mean position, and 
where the magnets are in tolerably steady motion. The cases which are in conformity 
mth this -view are more fi’equent than those which are not in accordance with it. The 
following are some cases in which the maxima and minima, either or both, in any given 
day, coincide in point of time, both being large : — 
Declination. 
Horizontal force. 
1858. April 
9. 
4th to 5th hour. 
Minimum very large. 
Minimum very large. 
1859. August 27. 
n 
19 
in 
50 . . . 
o ( 
Minimum 20 51 
Minimum 0’086 
23 
25 . . . 
Maximum 21 32 
Maximum 0’093 
1859. August 31. 
16 
15 . . . 
Maximum out of range. 
Maximum out of range 
19 
35 . . . 
Minimum 20 32 . . 
Minimum 0'077 
1859. Sept. 
1. 
2 
0 . . . 
Maximum 21 43 . . 
Maximum OR 91 
1859. Sept. 
4. 
2 
15 . . . 
Maximum 21 42 
Maximum OR 94 
On the 3rd of this September the magnets were very active ; and from the third to 
the sixth hour there was a very bold and remarkable increasing curve for both instru- 
ments; and from about the sixth to the tenth horn’ an equally conspicuous decreasing 
curve. For the present, these examples must be accepted as general illustrations, and 
as sug ^estions to point out the direction in which the further pursuit of these inquiries 
may be most profitably carried on. 
One or two questions have occurred to me while discussing these observations, which 
I had proposed to solve on the first day of disturbance that presented itself. From 
September 7, 1860, to January 20, 1861, the day on which I am writing, that is, for the 
unusually long period of five months, the earth has been almost inactive. Not a single 
storm-day has occurred: two or three solitary currents, small in value and brief in 
duration, have occasionally, though but rarely, been collected; but with these rare 
exceptions, it has been a period of perfect calm. 
Since writing the last sentence, the returns for the week ending January 26 have 
reached me, from which 1 perceive that the earth was again showing signs of a relapse 
into an active state. Currents made their appearance in tolerable numbers from January 
22 to Januar}’ 26 inclusive, especially on January 24; on which day 1 notice that from 
6.30 to 6.37 the Margate — Ashford needles were horizontal for a north current, and from 
6.37 to 6.52 were horizontal for a south current. Other high values occurred throughout 
these days. On .January 26 the observer at Ramsgate noticed “that the deflections, 
instead of moving steadily as usual, kept continually oscillating, more particularly at 
1.35 P.M., when they incessantly went from right to left, making somewhat sudden move- 
ments for twelve minutes*.” 
* The earth haa been further inactive to the date when this sheet is j^assing through the press, July 27, 1861. 
MDCCCLXI. 
E 
