he gradual
improvement in the steadiness of chronometers from 1851 to 1866, it
appears that from 1851 to 1854 the 'trial number' (which is a
combination of changes of weekly rate representing the fault of the
chronometer) varied from 34.8s to 52.5s, while from 1862 to 1866 it
varied from 21.2s to 25.8s.--The following statement will shew the
usual steadiness of the Great Clock on the Westminster Palace: On 38
per cent. of days of observation, the clock's error was below 1s. On
38 per cent, the error was between 1s and 2s. On 21 per cent. it was
between 2s and 3s. On 2 per cent. between 3s and 4s. On 1 per cent.
between 4s and 5s.--The Report contains an account of the
determination of the longitude of Cambridge U.S. by Dr B. A. Gould, by
means of galvanic currents through the Atlantic Cable, in the spring
of 1867: and advantage was taken of this opportunity for
re-determining the longitude of Feagh Main near Valencia in
Ireland. The longitude of Feagh Main, found by different methods is as
follows: By chronometers in 1844, 41m 23.23s; by galvanic
communication with Knight's Town in 1862, 41m 23.37s; by galvanic
communication with Foilhommerum in 1866, 41m 23.19s. The collected
results for longitude of Cambridge U.S. from different sources are: By
moon-culminators (Walker in 1851, and Newcomb in 1862-3), 4h 44m
28.42s and 4h 44m 29.56s respectively; by Eclipses (Walker in 1851),
4h 44m 29.64s; by occultations of Pleiades (Peirce 1838-1842, and
1856-1861), 4h 44m 29.91s and 4h 44m 30.90s respectively; by
chronometers (W. C. Bond in 1851, and G. P. Bond in 1855), 4h 44m
30.66s and 4h 44m 31.89s respectively; by Atlantic Cable 1866, 4h 44m
30.99s.--After noticing that many meteorological observatories had
suddenly sprung up and had commenced printing their observations in
detail, the Report continues thus: 'Whether the effect of this
movement will be that millions of useless observations will be added
to the millions that already exist, or whether something may be
expected to result which will lead to a meteorological theory, I
cannot hazard a conjecture. This only I believe, that it will be
useless, at present, to attempt a process of mechanical theory; and
that all that can be done must be, to connect phenomena by laws of
induction. But the induction must be carried out by numerous and
troublesome trials in different directions, the greater part of which
would probably be failures.'--There was this year an annular eclipse