AUCKLAND INSTITUTE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7878, 22 February 1887, Page 6

AUCKLAND INSTITUTE.

The annual meeting of the Auckland Institute was held yesterday at the Museum Buildings, Mr. Pond (one of the Vice-Presi-dents), in the chair. There were about thirty members present. The secretary (Mr. Cheeseman) read the minutes of the last meeting, whioh were confirmed, and he then read the following report — As provided for by the rulsp, the Council of the Auckland Institute have now to submit to the members a report on the financial and genera! condition of the Institute, and its progress duiing the p«st year. Fourteen new members li ive been olected daring the rear. In ISBS the elections were 20, and in ISS4 12. The Council regret that no less than 38 names have been removed from the roll of the Institute since the last annual meeting, Of these, fire have been withdrawn though death, 18 by resignation, and the remaining IS from non-payment of subscription for two consecutive years, there is thus a net loss Of 22, the number on the roll being reduced from 800 ti 278. This is the first occas on In the history of the Institute that & decrease In the number of the members has had to be announced. No doubt the cause of it Can be traced to the widespread cominer ial depression, and a favourable chati e in the aspect of murcant nffalrs would soon bring up the roll to its tuuil i standard. That the reason is not a local one is shown by the fact that a similar decrease has taken place In almost all the other affiliated societies. Anion* the deaths, the Council regret 10 have to mention the nan.>i» of Mr. J. Richmond, of Messrs. Uesketh and Richmond, fir many years legal advisers to the Institute, and >tr. D. Natban Ibe latter gentletleman, though never taking an active part Id tbe sirs ] of the Institute, had frequency evinced his sympathy with its objects; and on his decease, it was iound that, among a large number of bequests for charitable and educational purpose , a sum of £100 was bequ athed to the Auckland Institute. The Council wish to put on rec rd iheir appreciation of the thoughtful anil liberal a tlon of the deceased gentleman. For full particulars of the financial position of the In tituio re erence should be made to the treasurer's balance- licet, which is appended to his report. The total rev.nue credited to the general account has been £942 9i (id, as against £97 Is 8d in 1833. The decrease in the members has, of course, pioduced a diminution in the yearly subscriptions, tbe am unt being £2i2 Is, wb le in 18 6 it was £263 lis The interest received fiom the invested funds of the Costley hequo-t has amounted to £881 14s, The toui expenditure has bean £1082 3s lid, leaving a balance o( £119 14s 61, due to the .nk of Ne - Zealand. The expenditure in the previous year was £1078 3s 3d. With regpi ot to the Museum endowment, there is little to report. Several small blocks of land have been sold by the Waste Lauds Bard, but tliegre ter part of the purchase money is still in the hands of the Government. At the present it is a.moat impossible to dispose of country .an is to advantage, and the Council fear that some time will eUpte before the whole of the capital amount of the endowment can be re .Used, or even any considerable proport.on of it. Twelve meetings have b en held during the year. Most of the papers have been forwarded to toe manager of the Jew Zaalan i Institute at Wellington, with the view of publication in the forthcoming volume of "Transactions." The number of visitors to tbe Museum continues to increase. The average attendance on week days has been about 70, and On Sun. ays about 120, making the total uumber of visitors for the year to be 28.150 This shows a considerable advance on the attendance (or th" previous year, which was estimated at 25 610. Appended to the report will be "found a complete list of all additions to tne Museum, hut those of special importance will be brii fly alluded to here. VerteDr«ta. The most important aiqul-ltion under this head has been a series of over 300 N'i r h American bird skins, for in part of » valuable exchange fjrwaned by the Smithsonian institution, Washington. Thi collection of New Zetland birds has received many a> ditioos during the year, and Is now t lerably complete, so far a> number of species is concerned, al hough much remains to oe done in the way of obtaining specimens shoeing the different stages of growtn, sea oual changes of plumage, eio. A consi lerible number of specimens have bdOn m lunted and placed ou exhlbi tion. Among them may be mentioned a special gioup showing the natuie of the habitat and special surroundings of the Tuatara lizard (Sphenodon), and a similar one of the Kea pairot ( > ostor Not.bili*). Invertebrata : The only no ewartby receipts have been tW" fine collections of North imericin Mollusca forwarded iu exchange by Mr. Aldncfc of Cincinnati, and Mr. A. W. Crawford of south California. An extensivo series of New Zaaland shells has been made np by the cU r aior and forwarded for exhibition to the Indian and Colonial Exhibition. Geol"gy and Mlneraio y : Ibe exchanges forwarded bi the omitbsonlau Institution include excellent sets of North American minerals and ores Among the latter ard numerous specimens of silver ores from the joining districts of Utah and Nevada, which will be of value for comparison with those from our own mnea in the Thames and other district!. Tnaais are due to Mr. Percy ernitb, *r fond, Professor Thomas, Major Malf, and other gentlemen, to ouruer .us saint les of the ej vcta from the eruption of I arawera. A selection has t>een placed on exb biiion in the museu c, and has been frequently referred to by visitors. The whole of the type collection of minerals and rocks has been remounted on poilshel woo len tablets, and printed labels have b-en substituted for written ones as far as possible A small collection of Kew Zealand fossils has been pUced ou exhibition during the year. i thnoiogy : The Maori war canoe, ruentione.* in last year's report as having been placed in an annexe to the Museum, baa neeo thor tighiy renovat d, and the carving* repa red and put in place. The cost has been lar e, but on the other hand the Institute now p ssesses the only perfect specimen of the kind extant. The pataka, or chiefs store-house, deposited in the Museum by Mr. Keaton, continues to attract uch a tendon from visitors. The miscellaneous Maori earrings, formerly scattered in various pirn of the Museum. bare been collected together, und paced in the entrance nail Tbe formation of a more complete c dloctlon, to illustrate the manners and customs of the Maori rice, Is a matter that urgently requires attent on, and In thi« the Council Invite ;ne active cooyerat on of the members With respect to ethnological specimen from foraijjn countries a Urge colla - tion has been received from No th America, fowarded by the Smithsonian Instita ion. An important presentation of ijian articles big alio been made by, Mr. r. Steel, formerly of Auckland, but now resident in Fiji, and several smaller donations have been received from various parts of Polynesia. But all these additions trill remain unpacked, there being no available space in the Muesum in which to exhibit them. Every year brings more prominently before the Council the necssaity f ran enlargement of the Museum. In the present building ft is impossible to properly classify and arrange the colle -lions; a d the general appearance of the Mnsenm, and its value as a teaching institution, suffer from the fact that the most incongruous objects have o' necessity to bo exhibits in j imposition. The obstacles In the way of enlargement apoear t • be two: First, the uufortuoato delay in realising the Capital amount of the Muieu o endowment, (or until this is dune, and a sufficent sum Invested to provide a yearly revenue for the maintenance of the Museum, It would be unwise to expend the Costley bequest in bull tin;. Secondly, the extraordinary and inexplicable delay of the tily Council in determining the future levels of the streets in (he vicinity ; for, a- a mat'er of course, no permanent building of importance can be erec'sl until this Is done. The Council recommend Hie whole matter to the c ireful codsltleration of the memtiors. 1 ho wooden buildi <gs at the corner of Princes.street and Kden Crescent, and adjoining tbo Museum, have been leased to the Auckland University College, the College Counc I representing that it was highly desirable that the Professor of Biology should ive an opportunity of making free use of the Museum collections in thet-aching of his classes. Mo doubt the arrangement will be of mutual advantage. Few purchases of books have been made during the your, but the Council hope ?oou to be In a position to forward a considerable order to London. The usual exchanges and contributions from foreign societies have been received. The most Important donation has been from Mr. Herman Tinne, of London, wh > has kindly f awarded a comp eta set of the Reports of the British association from its foundation in 1830, and a similar one of the publications of tho Royal Aifiicultuial Society. The Council have had much pleasure In tendering to Mr Tlnne the c rdial thanks of tho institute for this very acceptable presentation. In conclusion, tbe Council wish to present the thanks of the Institute to the numerous donor* to the Museum and Library not mentioned in the body of the report, but whose names wi'l be found in the appended list. They would also again refer to the services of Mr.'W. K. Graham as the London agent of the society, and to those of Mr. Hugh Craig in a similar capacity at San Francisco.

The Chairman moved the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, expressing the opinion that their position was one which they had every reason to be proud of. They had always been out of debt. Mr. Peacock seconded the motion, which waa unanimously carried.

Dr. Purchaa then proposed Professor Thomas as President of the Institute for the ensuing year. Mr. Percy Smith seconded the resolution, which was carried with applause. Professor Thomas, in expressing his acknowledgements, stated that be should use all his energies in promoting the success of the Institute.

The following gentlemen were then pro posed to fill the three vacancies in the Council of the Institute, in accordance with the rules :—Mr. Graves Aiokin, proposed by Mr. Mackechnie, and seconded by Mr. Peacock ; the Rev. Mr. Gulliver, proposed by Dr. Murray Moore, and seconded by Mr. Mackechnie ; Mr. James Russell, proposed by Mr. Percy Smith, and seconded by Mr. Moat; Major Mair, proposed by Dr. Pur chas, and seconded by Professor Thomas; the Rev. W. Tabbs, proposed by Mr. Martin, and seconded by Mr. Bates A ballet was taken, the result being that Major Mair and the Revs. E. H. Gulliver and W. Tebbs were elected members of the council for the ensuing year.

A resolution was paasod on the motion of Dr. Purchas, seconded by Mr. Thome, that, "In the opinion.of t'uis Institute it is desirable that the City Council should take immediate steps to decide what alterations will be made of the levels of Princes-street and the streets in the vicinity."

Mr. Reid was re-eleoted auditor. Thanks were accorded to Professor Brown for his services during the past year as President of the Institute.