Partial Sets.—The Standing Committee decided to donate a partial set of the Transactions to Rothampsted Experimental Station. Also the Library Committee's recommendation of last year, to donate back numbers to certain exchanges who had sent to the Institute partial sets of their publications, was carried out, and over 500 volumes were posted to these exchanges.

Library.—The Library continues to be of great assistance to research workers who are kept supplied with current literature dealing with their subjects, and it is used considerably by the staff and honours students of Victoria University College. The enlarged exchange list, while adding greatly to the value of the Library, is also proving a tax on the space available, and the matter of providing more room is urgent. During the year, owing to the generosity of some of our exchanges, many series which were incomplete have been completed for binding. A determined effort was also made to revive in some members a “book conscience,” with the result that certain books, some of which had been borrowed from the Library as far back as 1900, have now been returned. From a certain Department also some 20 volumes bearing the N.Z. Institute stamp but which did not appear in the Loan Register were also reclaimed.

Last year an appeal was made to members to donate the missing numbers of the Reports of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. We are deeply indebted to Mr. H. T. Ferrar, of the Geological Survey Department, who has very kindly donated these Reports from 1918 to date. His action in giving up these valuable reports for the benefit of the New Zealand Institute members is very much appreciated.

Sales.—During the year £52 was realised by the sale of Transactions, and £4 by Bulletins and Indexes. Only one set of Maori Art was sold.

Incorporated Societies.—The following reports and balance sheets of incorporated societies have been received and are now laid on the table:—

Philosophical Institute of Canterbury for the year ending 31/10/28.

Auckland Institute for the year ending 31/3/28.

Wellington Philosophical Society for the year ending 31/10/28.

Nelson Institute for the year ending 31/10/28.

Manawatu Philosophical Society for period ending 31/12/28.

The Manawatu Philosophical Society was resuscitated on the 9th August, 1928, with Dr. H. H. Allan as President, Professor Peren and Mr. A. H. Cockayne as Vice-Presidents, and Mr. J. C. Merton, M.A., Hon. Secretary. Mr. M. A. Eliott was reappointed New Zealand Institute representative.

Date of Annual Meeting.—At a meeting of the Standing Committee held on the 17th April it was decided to ask individual members of the Board what month they considered most suitable for the Annual Meeting of the Board to be held. Without exception the replies were that April or May, preferably May, was most suitable. An endeavour was made to get an Amendment to the Act put through to alter the date of the meeting from January, and to have the Finance Clause reinstated in the Act. However, this amendment did not come before the House, possibly owing to the illness of the acting Minister of Internal Affairs prior to the close of the session. Further action will be deferred until Parliament meets in 1929.

Hector Award.—At a meeting of the Standing Committee held on the 5th May the report of the Hector Award Committee which it had been unable to present at the Annual Meeting was received. The Committee consisting of Dr. Farr, Sir Ernest Rutherford, and Professor Vonwiller recommended that the Hector prize and medal for astronomy, mathematics, and physics be awarded to Professor D. M. Y. Sommerville, M.A., D.Sc.,

F.N.Z. Inst., for his general mathematical work, and particularly for his investigations in non-euclidean geometry.

Hamilton Award.—At a meeting of the Standing Committee on the 20th November, Dr. W. B. Benham was appointed to fill the vacancy on the Hamilton Award Committee caused through the death of the late Dr. J. A. Thomson.

Fellowship N.Z. Institute.—On the 12th April, Dr. H. H. Allan and Mr. J. A. Bartrum were gazetted Fellows of the N.Z. Institute.

Ten nominations for the Fellowship were received from incorporated societies and submitted to the Fellows for selection: On the 17th October the Hon. Returning Officer reported the result of the selection and these names were submitted to the Board of Governors.

At last Annual Meeting a committee consisting of Dr. Thomson (convener), Professors Segar and Sommerville was set up to report on a method of election. Professors Segar and Sommerville have been communicating with each other on the matter but no report has yet been received.

National Research Council.—At last Annual Meeting, on the motion of Dr. Farr, seconded by Mr. A. M. Wright, it was resolved that the constitution under the New Zealand Institute of the National Research Council be referred to the Standing Committee to consider and report at next Annual Meeting, and that in the meantime the Board of Governors act as the National Research Council for New Zealand. Accordingly at the first meeting of the Standing Committee held on the 17th April Dr. Farr and Mr. A. M. Wright were appointed a sub-committee to bring down suggestions to the Standing Committee. The report of this Committee was received by the Standing Committee on the 20th November and was referred to the Annual Meeting for consideration. Copies of the report are being circulated to members of the Board.

Research Grants.—A reduced vote for £750 was placed on the Estimates for 1928 for research. Applications for research grants were called and twelve applications for amounts totalling £945 were received. The Research Grants Committee recommended that eleven applications totalling £750 be granted. of these applications eight have so far been approved by the Hon. Minister in charge of the Scientific and Industrial Research Department. The remainder are under consideration.

Research Property.—A question was raised at last Annual Meeting with regard to the disposal of books and apparatus purchased by grantees and used in their researches. At a meeting of the Standing Committee held on the 17th April it was resolved that where books are purchased by a research grantee out of Government research grant funds for a specific research, the books shall on completion of that research be filed in the N.Z. Institute Library in Wellington.

Honorary Members.—Two vacancies were declared at last Annual Meeting, and to fill these vacancies incorporated societies were asked to nominate two gentlemen. Eight names were submitted and from these two will be elected at the Annual Meeting in 1929.

Board of Governors.—During the year certain changes have occurred in the personnel of the Board.

The late Dr. J. A. Thomson: The N.Z. Institute sustained a very great loss by the death of its late President, Dr. J. A. Thomson. Dr. Thomson whose death occurred on the 6th May, 1928, had been a member of the Board since 1913 and had during that time given unstinted service to the Institute. For many years he had acted as Honorary Librarian of the Institute and at last Annual Meeting he was unanimously elected its President.

The Government elected Mr. W. R. B. Oliver to fill the vacancy thus created on the Board of Governors.

Presidency: At a special meeting of the Board held on the 18th May, on the motion of Professor Kirk, seconded by Dr. Cockayne, it was resolved that Mr. B. C. Aston be elected President to complete the term of the late Dr. Thomson. This resolution was unanimously carried by those present and approved by all absent members of the Board. Mr. Aston thanked the Board for the confidence shown in him in electing him President and expressed his desire to fill the office to the best of his ability.

Mr. H. Hill: The resignation of Mr. Henry Hill, representative of the Hawkes Bay Philosophical Institute was accepted with regret by the Standing Committee on the 17th April. Mr. W. H. Guthrie Smith, of Tutira, was appointed by the Hawkes Bay Philosophical Institute to the vacancy thus created.

Honours to Institute Members.—At the request of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science the Mueller Medal was presented to Dr. Cockayne in recognition of his researches in botany. This presentation took place at the October meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society.

A further honour has also been bestowed on Dr. Cockayne in the award of the Darwin Medal presented by the Royal Society of London. Dr. Cockayne has the distinction of being the first in Australasia on whom this honour has been bestowed.

There is pleasure also in recording that in February Dr. C. C. Farr was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London.

Director of Dominion Museum.—Early in September Mr. W. R. B. Oliver was appointed to the Directorship of the Dominion Museum, and at a meeting of the Standing Committee held on the 4th October occasion was taken to convey to Mr. Oliver the congratulations of the N.Z. Institute.

Pacific Science Congress.—The Fourth Meeting of the Pacific Science Congress is to be held in Java in May 1929. Societies have been asked to forward the names of members who desire to attend the Congress but only two names have been sent in.

Waipoua Forest.—At last Annual Meeting two resolutions in connection with Waipoua Forest were carried and a copy of the resolutions was sent to the Commissioner of State Forests (see Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 59, p. 22). He replied on 7th March as follows: “… With regard to the first resolution to the effect that this road through the forest should not have been formed, I have to state that the Board's opinion has been duly noted. With regard to the second resolution I have to state that the main forest is a permanent State Forest under the Forests Act, and that it can be dealt with only under the provisions of that Act. The Government has no intention of disposing of any portion of the Waipoua Forest proper at the present time, and the chief energies of the State Forest Service will be devoted to fire protection, the carrying out of experimental work, and other activities of a scientific and ameliorative character.” This letter was referred to the Auckland Institute's Vigilance Committee for action.

Arthur's Pass.—A resolution passed at last Annual Meeting to the effect that not only the forest near Arthur's Pass should be made a scenic reserve, but the open ground on the actual Pass itself, such ground being famous for its Alpine plants, was forwarded to the Department of Lands and Survey and in reply the Under Secretary on the 13th February promised to look further into the matter and communicate with the Institute on the subject in due course.

Whitebait Fishery.—No communication has been received from the Scientific and Industrial Research Department nor from the Fisheries Department in connection with their assurance that the resolution of the