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Volume 39, 1906
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New Zealand Institute.

Thirty-Eighth Annual Report.

The third annual meeting of the Board of Governors under the Act of 1903 was held in the Colonial Museum, Wellington, on the 25th January, 1906, and was attended by sixteen members.

The representatives of the Governor in Council and of the various incorporated societies during the year were as follows: By the Governor in Council—Messrs. A. Hamilton, J. Young, E. Tregear, and J. W. Joynt; Auckland Institute—Professor Thomas, Mr. J. Stewart; Wellington Philosophical Society— Professor Easterfield, Mr. M. Chapman; Philosophical Institute of Canterbury—Professor Chilton, Dr. Farr; Otago Institute— Professor Benham, Mr. G. M. Thomson; Hawke's Bay Philosophical Institute—Mr. Hill; Nelson Institute—Dr. Cockayne; Westland Institute—Mr. T. H. Gill; Manawatu Philosophical Society—Mr. W. Welch. Messrs. Joynt and Tregear retired in December and were reappointed by the Governor in Council, and Mr. W. J. O'Donnell was appointed in the place of Mr. W. Welch, who has left the colony.

At the annual meeting of the Institute the following officers were elected: President—Sir James Hector, M.D., F.R.S.; Treasurer—Mr. J. W. Joynt, M.A.; Editor of Transactions and Librarian—Mr. A. Hamilton; Secretary—Mr. T. H. Gill, M.A., LL.B.

The honorary members of the New Zealand Institute are twenty-five.

The members now on the roll of the various incorporated societies are as follows: Auckland Institute, 164; Wellington Philosophical Society, 106; Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 146; Otago Institute, 111; Hawke's Bay Philosophical Institute, 56; Nelson Institute, 32; Westland Institute, 46; Manawatu Philosophical Institute, 46: total, 732.

Transactions.—The volumes of Transactions now on hand are—Vol. I (second edition), 317; Vol. V, 33; Vol. VI, 24; Vol. VII, 146; Vol. IX, 217; Vol. X, 139; Vol. XI, 394;

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Vol. XII, 307; Vol. XIII, 144; Vol. XIV, 109; Vol. XV, 282; Vol. XVI, 272; Vol. XVII, 533; Vol. XVIII, 311; Vol. XIX, 558; Vol. XX, 455; Vol. XXI, 458; Vol. XXII, 564; Vol. XXIII, 573; Vol. XXIV, 674; Vol. XXV, 630; Vol. XXVI, 617; Vol. XXVII, 609; Vol. XXVIII, 693; Vol. XXIX, 596; Vol. XXX, 690; Vol. XXXI, 700; Vol. XXXII, 523; Vol. XXXIII, 616; Vol. XXXIV, 569; Vol. XXXV, 531; Vol. XXXVI, 692; Vol. XXXVII, 610.

The volume just published, Vol. XXXVIII, contains, in addition to a photograph and In Memoriam of the late Captain Hutton, 634 pages and 67 plates. The contents of Vols. XXXVII and XXXVIII are comprised below.

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1905. 1904.
Pages. Pages
Miscellaneous 130 215
Zoology 173 145
Botany 86 51
Geology 135 143
Chemistry and physics 50 27
Records of Milne seismographs 6 8
Proceedings 33 39
Appendix 21 32
634 660

The whole of the work was done, as formerly, at the Government Printing Office.

The late Captain Hutton.—The following resolution was passed at the last meeting of the Board of Governors: “The Board of Governors of the New Zealand Institute desires to express its deep sense of the loss to natural science caused by the death of Captain F. W. Hutton, F.R.S., President of the Institute. Captain Hutton's connection with the New Zealand Institute dates from its inception in 1868, and his researches on the geology and zoology of New Zealand for a period of forty years have left an enduring mark on the science of the colony, and made his name widely known throughout the world. His single-hearted devotion to his work and his untiring enthusiasm inspired many others to continue the researches which he began. His assistance and advice were always at the service of his fellow-workers, and his influence will remain an effective factor in scientific work in the future.”

In addition to passing this resolution the Board of Governors decided to commemorate Captain Hutton's scientific work in the colony by establishing a fund to be known as the “Hutton Memorial Research Fund,” the money obtained to be devoted to the encouragement of original research in biological and

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geological science in New Zealand, and to be vested in and controlled by the Board of Governors of the New Zealand Institute. A committee consisting of Drs. Chilton and Cockayne and Messrs. Speight and Laing, of Christchurch, was set up to complete arrangements for the establishment of the fund, and to report with suggestions for dealing with the fund at the next annual meeting of the Institute.

Manual of Mollusca.—A letter was received at the last annual meeting from Mr. Henry Suter, of Auckland, in re preparing a work on the New Zealand Mollusca. A resolution was passed requesting the Government to consider favourably the desirability of issuing a new manual of New Zealand Mollusca. I am glad to state that the Government has decided to publish a work on this subject, and has appointed Mr. H. Suter editor.

Benjamin Franklin Celebrations.—The two-hundredth celebration of the birth of Benjamin Franklin was celebrated at Philadelphia in April, 1906. Professor E. Rutherford, an honorary member of the Institute, represented the New Zealand Institute on that occasion.

Library.—During the year a great deal of work has been done in the library. The books have been catalogued, and a number of serials has been bound at the Government Printing Office. The librarian will present a separate report.

Carter Bequest.—The amount standing to the credit of this fund on the 31st December, 1906, was £2,504 6s. 3d. In addition there is a quantity of scrip in the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company at face value. The money is invested by the Public Trustee, and is earning interest at the rate of 4 percentum per annum. This fund represents a bequest by the late C. R. Carter to the New Zealand Institute for the purpose of establishing an Astronomical Observatory. This has been accumulating, and on the 31st December last was as stated above.

Time-ball Observatory.—The Board of Governors deeply regret that it was found necessary to remove the Time-ball Observatory from the site it had occupied for forty years, the position of which had been laboriously determined and verified by various observers. The paper now being published in the Transactions by Dr. Otto Klotz of Canada bears witness to the value and accuracy of the old position from which the time was determined for colonial and maritime purposes.

Balance-sheet.—Herewith is presented the balance-sheet for the year just ended. From this it will be seen that the credit balance amounts to £344 14s. 8d.

James Hector

President.
Wellington, 31st January, 1907.

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Balance-sheet of the New Zealand Institute for 1906.

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Receipts.
£ s. d.
Balance from 1905 416 16 3
Sale of Transactions 1 0 0
Sale of “Maori Art” 4 3 6
Contribution from Wellington Philosophical Society 19 1 6
Statutory grant 500 0 0
£941 2 3

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Payments.
£ s. d.
Travelling-expenses (annual meeting) 22 14 4
Work in library 5 0 0
Work on catalogue 5 0 0
Services of messenger 3 0 6
Printing, stationery, postage, &c. 11 9 10
Publications 17 7 1
Card-index cabinet, &c. 16 14 7
Printing Transactions 439 6 9
Salaries, Editor and Secretary 76 0 0
Bank charge 0 10 0
Interest 0 4 6
Balance—
Cash in hand 1 14 4
" bank 343 0 4
£941 2 3

Examined and found correct—J. K. Warburton, Controller and Auditor-General.

Carter Bequest.
£ s. d.
Amount of bequest with accrued interest 2,504 6 3
New Zealand Loan and Mercantile scrip, face value 17 0 0
£2,521 6 3
Invested with the Public Trustee 2,504 6 3
Scrip held by Public Trustee 17 0 0
£2,521 6 3
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