Commencing their labors, however, immediately after the first call, the examinations were not complete until March 3d, which only permitted a time test to be made of nine days in a single position. This single position was objected to by some of the exhibitors, but ill-advisedly, for the ratings observed in the watches of the objecting exhibitors were of such character as to establish in the minds of the judges the conclusion that their watches would not have made so good a comparative showing if there had been more time to observe the ratings in other positions.

Great care was taken by the individual judges in making up their note books during the examination of the watches, and scrutinizing the inherent and comparative merits of exhibits under the ten different heads unanimously agreed upon, as follows:

It was agreed the judges should use the number 100 as expressing the highest degree of excellence in each of these ten elements of inherent and comparative merit, and adjudge individually to each of the several exhibits such rating as their respective judgments would warrant after careful examination; each set of opinions being made a portion of this report, and in the résumé the mean average being taken as the unanimous verdict of the judges.

It was also decided we should take up each exhibit in the order originally examined, and, beginning with the first element of merit (originality), each judge should in numbers express his judgment of the inherent and comparative merit attaching to each exhibit in this one element; this being done, to proceed with each succeeding element in order and in the same manner. The five judgments being complete and in numbers, the aggregated verdict is arrived at simply by addition and division.

This is not only a verdict as to the inherent and comparative merits of each exhibit, but also a full analysis of each order of merit in any exhibit as compared with all the others. . . .

In giving this verdict it was absolutely necessary to ascertain to the fullest extent the time-keeping qualities of the exhibits. The judges were led to this conclusion from the fact that in some of the exhibits we were shown watches of equal finish containing every known application of horological science in practically the same construction, which should, as far as they could determine by merely optical examination, keep quite as good time as watches of double and treble the costs in other exhibits, thus involving their judgment in doubt upon several elements of merit.

In justice to themselves and to the exhibitors the judges determined to make the test in only one position, and give the whole of the time at their disposal to testing the watches in what might be considered their normal position, if such term is allowable—that is, "pendent up," or hanging.

At the solicitations of the judges Prof. H. C. Russell, Astronomer Royal at the Sydney Observatory, kindly consented to make the tests, and each of the exhibitors was requested to send three watches of his own selection to the Observatory for this trial.

As will be seen by the report of Professor Russell, eight of the ten exhibitors availed themselves of this opportunity. It is proper, however, to state here that none of the exhibitors apparently anticipated this test, and that it is possible some of the watches might have made a better record if they had been differently attended to since the opening of the Exhibition; but they were in this respect all upon a par.