UNIVERSITY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2363, 8 June 1899, Page 19

UNIVERSITY COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of the University Council was held on Monday, and attended by Mr E. B. Cargill (vice-chancellor, in the chair), Professor Sale, Professor Sliand, Dr Burns, Dr Hocken, the Rev. A. Cameron, Messrs J. Allen, M.H.R.,' G. G. Russell, H. Clark, D. White, and T. K. Sidey. Dr'Hocken reported that a deputation from the council had waited upon the Hospital Trustees with reference to the building of a morgue in connection with the hospital, and towards the erection of which the council were prepared to* contribute £50. As a result of the interview, plans had been prepared and laid before the trustees, and the prospects of a morgue being built were favourable. Mr A. Hamilton, registrar, reported the election of Mr T. K. Sidey, 8.A., LL.B., as the representative on the council of the graduates, vice the late Hon. W. H. Reynolds. The Chairman took occasion to welcome Mr Sidey to his seat in the council as the representative of young Otago, and expressed a hope that both in the council and elsewhere Mr ftkley would do' credit to ihe land of hid birth. . Mr Sidey thanked the chairman for his welcome, and he trusted that his relations with all the members of the council would be of a cordial character. The Finance Committee recommended the payment of accounts amoxinting to £2124 17a sd. The bank book showed a credit balance of £1167 7s. The lease of a thousand acres at Forest Hill, it was reported, had expired on the Ist inst. The lessee, Mr Millar, was prepared to pay over the amount required to complete the purchase. Mr Harming and two others had also made an offer to purchase a portion of the land, but the committee did not think any more land should be sold. Thejf were, however, prepared to lease the portions indicated. In the case of those men who held licenses for gold prospecting, the committee recommended that protection should be ex. tended to them for another month. The deputation appointed to wait upon the High Schools Board of Governors, reported that the board had promised to consider the practicability of furthering the study of German at the High Schools. A draft report to be submitted to the Government was considered and approved. The following report of the curator of the museum was also approved: —

On my arrival in Dunedin, at the end of Hay, 1898, I formally commenced my duties as curator of the museum, but my work in con-nection-with the university classes prevented me from, doing any serious museum work till the long vacation. My first desire is to make as complete a collection as possible of our New Zealand animals of all classes. The birds, and the few marine mammals that frequent our shores are well represented, but the invertebrates require many additions. In order to exhibit as prominently as possible our marine mammals, I had to make certain alterations in the disposition of some of tho skeletons in the centre of tho main hall. These ungulata 1 transferred to tho ethnological annex, so a3 to make room for those of the cetacea and seals that occur rqu'ncl the islands.

In order to effect this change it was necessary to remove from the annex the cumbrous geographical models of the islands, which appeared to me to be occtipying a space quite incommensurable with their value, either as objects of inteieat or of education. Other minor alterations in tho arrangement of some of the cases not only allowed me room for the change, but, it appears to me, exhibits the objects in these cases in a better light and to better effect. These changes effected, I transferred all our bkeletons of the hoofed mammals to the centre of the annex, and I gathered together from various corners of the main hall all our skeletons of seals and whales, and have arranged them in tho central enclosure. The stuffed specimens of the same are grouped near at 'land.

I urn on the look out for such specimens as we do not already possess. The skeleton of the sea elephant (rnacro-l-hinus Iconiaus) collected some years ago by Mr Hamilton on the Macquarie Island, has been j<-.t up aud placed in the enclosure. Although Ii lacks cue fore limb and one hind limb, it is •if sufficient v?lue and interest to be exhibited, and 1 am using efforts to obtain the limb bones from the Macquaries. JDrs Colquhoun and Roberts most kindly brought over the limb-bones of a young specimen recently, but they are too small for our skeleton. The most noteworthy addition, however, ifl the complete suecimen of the nearly-extinct

bird, the Takahe (Notornis. hochstetteri) th«^ has been most generously presented to th< museum by th.c Government. The specimen has been stuffed and placed in the collection^ The skeleton and organs of digestion are in thd storeroom. ■>

Two specimens of the egg of the moa have;' also been acquired. One, considerably broken^' has been deposited by Mr Turton; the other ia absolutely complete, and is thus unique — the 1 only complete moa'a egg known 1 to exist. Thia egg was obtained during the working of a gold 1 dredge oil tile -River Molyneux. Mr A. Black-j a citizen of Dunedin, and one of the proprietors of the dredge, very patriotically obtained itr from the finder for the small sum of £50, rontributing £5 towards its purchase. The balance was paid by the Otago Institute, and th? egg is deposited by the council of the institute till such time as the university has repaid that body.

A series of rare native invertebrate animals was presented by Dr Dendy, who collected them on the New Brighton beach -after a storm. A considerable number of invertebrates has been added to the collection, chiefly the result of my own collecting expeditions tUong the coast, in the harbour, at Kaikoura, in the s.s. Plucky, and elsewhere. Perhaps the most interesting in a specimen of Lepas fascicularis, presented to me by the lightkeeper -at the Nuggets during my recent visit.

Mr Rich. Henry has, too, collected .leverai very interesting forms at Resolution Islandsome new to New Zealand. "Amongst them 1 may mention an illuminating fish of the genus Lanipranycb.es, and a flashing shryup. The trawling expedition of the s.a. Pluck} resulted in the discovery of several new form': of animal life belonging to the groups of gastropods, dorids, holothurians, starfish, and arnelids. Most of these have been mounted artft are on exhibition.

Amongst the " foreign " animals I may mpi:tion the additions of a stuffed specimen of th<gavial, from the Ganges, and of a tortoise fr<nr. Australia, presented by Mr G-. M. Thomson I have quite recently acquired the body of a baboon that died in a menagerie. I have, too, added to the specimens of stuffed mammals: tho skulls of many genera not hitherto represented. So as to exhibit the^dcntition of the more important members of the varioixs groxipa a series of animals has been purchased from the. Naples Zoological Station, partly foi museum purposes, partly for work in connection with the classes. A series of decapod Crustacea has been received from the Turin museum in exchange for a series of New Zealand Crustacea that I collected for the puipose.

I must not omit to refer to a collection of opal in matrix, presented by Mr D. Theomin, who obtained the series from the White Cliffs (New South Wales). These have not yet been placed on view. Further, the museum has received from the trustee of the late Dr Stuart, a snuff mull, originally belonging to Robert Burns. This, together with a small case to hold it, is now placed in the ethnological room. A good deal of work has been carried out in coi-.uection with storing our duplicate speci mens. Hitherto, all our spirit specimens were accumulated in the large cellar below the museum. I have, however, transferred all New Zealand specimens to another room, whert shelves have been fitted to receive them. They are now available for study in comparative comfort. I have gone through- and listed our stock of New Zealand animals, and have labelled and named those requiring-this attention.

The usual repairs to skeletons, refilling of jars with alcohol, relabelling of specimens, and other work necessary for the maintenance the collections in good order, have been carried out. The museum has been visited by a very large number of people. Indeed, I have been quite surprised at the crowds that visit us on holidays and Sundays, and I must note, too, the orclerliness l of the people. It would be a matter of some interest to provide s turnstilfc so as to have an accurate record of the number. I believe the fact would surprise many of our townsfolk.

The skylights still give a good deal of trouble in bad weather, and the floor of the annex is sometimes_ partially covered with water after a spell of rain.