place, it is our duty to do what we can to make the session a success from all points of view, and to heartily co-operate with the Australian societies in this matter. The other point is that before long another British Antarctic expedition will be setting out from the shores of New Zealand to make what we hope may be a final effort to attain the South Pole. I have no doubt that many of us would like to have the New Zealand base of the expedition at Wellington, yet our members at Christchurch have already shown themselves so very keen in this South Polar matter that we have no hesitation in leaving it in their experienced hands, and in assuring them that if we can in any way assist or strengthen their hands we shall be pleased to do so. In connection with this South Polar expedition there is one thing that I think we might consider. The Government of New Zealand showed their hearty appreciation of Sir Ernest Shackleton's expedition by making a grant in aid of its funds, which had the cordial approval of the people of New Zealand. It is to be hoped that the Government may see their way to unite with the Australian Colonies in assisting the new enterprise. What I want to say, however, is that I think we ought to represent to the authorities who are organizing the expedition, or request our own Government to do so, that for a great variety of reasons it would be highly desirable to have several lines of soundings taken between the southern portion of New Zealand and the Antarctic Continent—the more the better, in fact—but I would not suggest a large number at first, so long as we have some definite scheme by which the voyage of the expedition and of the relief-ships could be utilised for soundings. I do not know whether the soundings made by the “Nimrod” on her way back have been published yet, but they would be of great interest. If the Canterbury Institute have a special Antarctic Committee, I would recommend the matter to their special notice, if they have not already taken steps to represent the matter to the authorities in the proper quarter. There are certain points in the New Zealand Institute Act which I think should be carefully considered by the Board of Governors, and I shall suggest later on that the Standing Committee, or a special committee, be asked to consider the questions during the year, and to make a report to the next annual meeting. I do not deem it advisable to instance at the present time the points that I wish considered. It will be probably convenient at the same time to go into the question of the position of two or three incorporated societies whose position is not well defined in some respects. Coming to the regulations, I have recently made a few suggestions to the Publication Committee with regard to the rearrangement of some of the regulations, and also proposed a few verbal alterations. Section f of the regulations regarding publications provide that each incorporated society will be entitled to receive “a proportional number of copies of the Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute to be from time to time fixed by the Board of Governors.” This matter has, so far as I can find, never been dealt with, and the number supplied by the Secretary has been arrived at in another way. I also suggest that inquiries be made as to whether the incorporated societies are strictly complying with the regulations. It will be well to consider whether it can be made possible for the annual reports of the societies to be available at our annual meeting. The date of the meeting is fixed by the Act for the month of January. It seems desirable, therefore, that the societies should have their financial year ending on the 31st December. If this were done, we could have their reports laid before the annual meeting, and they could appear, probably, in the fourth part of the Proceedings for the year to which they belong. I recognise that this would involve a short year in some cases to begin with, but we must consider that the New Zealand Institute as constituted by section 3 of the Act is not a publishing body only, but is the societies themselves, notwithstanding that by Regulation 7 they are allowed to conduct their own affairs. It would be, of course, open to the Institute to pass a resolution that this should be done, but I trust the Governors will endeavour to bring their local Councils to fall in with what I can only consider a reasonable and proper action. While on the subject of regulations, there is another matter provided for in clause 13 of the Act. This clause says, “All regulations, together with a copy of the Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, should be laid upon the table of both Houses of Parliament within twenty days of the meeting thereof.” The practice hitherto for the forty-odd years during which this clause has been operative has been to lay upon the table a printed copy of the Transactions containing the printed regulations. I think that the spirit and letter of the clause requires more than this. During the annual meeting of the Board of Governors and the meetings of the Standing Committee held during the year many matters are dealt with and decided which are to all intents and purposes regulations of the society—for instance, during the last twelve months we found it necessary to pass a resolution adopting the old seal of the New Zealand Institute as the seal of the new one, for the purpose of sealing the diplomas of the honorary members. It appears to me that all resolutions of importance affecting the policy of the Society