WE observe that Sir John Hennessy, the Governor of Hongkong, has succeeded in getting an item of twenty thousand dollars for an observatory and time ball passed by his Legislative Council in the estimates for the current year, in addition to a sum of ten thousand dollars voted for the same purpose last year. The advice of Major H. S. Palmer, of the Royal Engineers, has been sought by the Colonial Government, and in a valuable paper published in one of the most recent Government Gazettes, he details the advantages, imperial and local, which may be expected from a physical observatory in Hongkong. The favourable position of the island for certain observations, especially with regard to the typhoons of the China Seas, on meteorology generally, and on terrestrial magnetism, was first brought to the Governor's notice in September, 1879, through the Secretary of State for the Colonies, by Dr. Warren De La Rue, as Vice-Chairman of the Kew Committee of the Royal Society. He pointed out the extreme importance of obtaining accurate records of the magnetic and meteorological conditions of the China Seas. There are at present only four observatories at which continuous observations are taken on the eastern coast of Asia and the adjacent islands—one at Batavia, in Java, supported by the Dutch Government, one attached to the Russian embassy at Peking, one at Siccawei, near Shanghai, and one at Manila. The two last are supported by the Society of Jesus. It is pointed out that Hongkong divides the distance between Siccawei and Manila, and would consequently be a most valuable acquisition to the list. The support of the Government of the Colony for a limited number of years to an observatory provided with self-recording instruments is therefore invoked. English officials and merchants abroad do not as a rule display much interest in science, and it is therefore fortunate that the gentleman at present at the head of the Government of Hongkong is one capable of appreciating the great importance of Dr. De La Rue's suggestion and of energetically carrying it out. Governor Hennessy had indeed in some sense anticipated the request, for he had, two years previously, in the first estimates which he prepared for the colony, obtained five thousand dollars from his Council for an observatory and time-ball. He entirely agreed with Dr. De La Rue's remarks, and added that the clearness of the atmosphere at certain seasons would admit of a valuable record being made of sun-spots, while the tides and varying temperature of the seas surrounding Hongkong, and the slight but frequent earthquake phenomena, would also be deserving of the attention of competent observers. A sum of between thirty and forty thousand dollars has been granted altogether for the establishment of an observatory, the chief objects of which are—