E.—7

2

the degree of B.A. Three of these have also obtained the degree of LL.B., and one of these, Mr. Frederick Fitchett, has gained the degree of LL.D. Of the Masters of Art, two gained double firstclass honours, one a double first-class and a second, sixteen first-class honours, one a double second, five second, and ten third-class. Thus, out of 166 who have taken degrees in the University of New Zealand, seventy belong to Canterbury College ; out of the sixty who have taken the M.A., thirtyfive belong to it; and of thirty-one who have taken first-class honours, nineteen belong to it. Of the fifty-nine senior and third year and John Tinline scholarships awarded by the University of New Zealand during the last six years, the period during which the present scholarship regulations have been in force, forty have been awarded to students of Canterbury College; of the thirteen Bowen prizes which have been awarded by the University for an essay on a subject connected with English history, and open to all undergraduates of the University of New Zealand, eight have been gained by students trained in this college, whilst the only two mentioned as proximo accessit have also been of this college. Of the four Gilchrist Scholarships that have been offered in New Zealand, two have been gained by studentsof the Canterbury College. Giels' High School. The work of the school has been carried on in much the same way as during the last year. The practical subjects added to the school work have been successful, especially the dress-cutting, as the class for this work has doubled its numbers. The former instructor having resigned, the classes for gymnastics are now being taught by Mr. Firth, a teacher of large experience. During the latter half of the summer season the greater number of the girls commenced to learn swimming, and several made considerable progress. This year there was a large number of candidates for the scholarships offered by the school. Forty-six entered for the upper and fourteen for the lower school, while last year, for the same number of scholarships, only twenty-five candidates offered themselves. The school was examined at the end of last year by Professors Bickerton and Cook, Mr. Colbome-Veel, and the Eev. Charles Turrell, who reported favourably on the work done. The Inspector-General visited the school in March,.and stated that " I am again able to report that the school is doing excellent work." Of the scholarships given last April by the Board of Education, one was gained in Class Eby Hilda Lewis, a pupil of the school. At the entrance examination of the New Zealand University, held last December, eleven girls qualified for matriculation ; three entered for junior University scholarships. One was gained by Janet Prosser, who was second highest on the list, and the other two pupils had a good place on the honours list. The number of pupils at present at the school is thirty-five. Boys' High School. The number of boys at the school last year was ninety ; since then the attendance has increased to 127, of whom twenty are free scholars, sixteen holding Governors' exhibitions, and four Foundation exhibitions. The increase has necessitated the appointment of a junior master, who will take entire charge of the preparatory class. The school was examined in December last by Professors Bickerton, Brown, and Cook, and the Eev. Charles Turrell, and their report on the whole was decidedly favourable. The Inspector-General on the 31st March visited the school and reported as follows : " The school is increasing in numbers, and is, in my judgment, in a very efficient state." Owing to the number of boys who come by train and tram, the morning hours have been altered from nine till twelve noon to half-past nine till half-past twelve, the afternoon hours remaining as before, namely, from two till four. A new prospectus, with more copious notes, has been issued, together with printed lists of rules for guidance of parents and boys, &c. The results of the University entrance examination in December last were that J. McMillan, B. L. Mcllroy, and D. Bates qualified for matriculation, andE. T. Norrisand C. H. Nuttall obtained respectively the thirty-ninth and fifty-second place in the list of candidates for junior scholarships. J. H. Smith and E. Speight, old pupils of the school, both won senior scholarships this year in the University, J. H. Smith the one for Latin and Greek, and E. Speight the one for mathematics and science. J. Waddell and H. Craddock have won C Scholarships offered for competition in April last by the North Canterbury Board of Education. Several complaints having been made of the coldness of the school, the Board in May last accepted a tender for altering the heating apparatus, and the work has been well done, and appears to be very successful. A new system of ventilation has also been adopted, which seems to work admirably. At the beginning of the year a sum was voted by the Board for a school workshop. This is now being made by enclosing a portion of the drillshed and filling it up with benches, lathe, tools, &c, and there is every reason to believe that it will be very popular with the school generally. The Museum. I regret to have to state that the chief event connected with the museum during the past year has been the lamented death of the late Director, Sir J. yon Haast. I need not speak of his work, that is too well known, and the moixument he leaves behind him, namely, the museum itself, shows how faithfully he did his duty. Soon after his death, applications for the appointment of Director were invited in the colonial papers, and twenty-five were received. The Board, after careful consideration, did not think it advisable to appoint any one of them, and accordingly wrote to London, asking certain gentlemen of high scientific repute, along with the Chairman, now visiting England, to form a commission for the purpose of selecting a Director. In the meantime the museum is under the charge of Professor Hutton, Acting-Director. Very large additions to the collections in the museum have been obtained in Europe by the late Director, and, in order to find room to exhibit them without increasing the building, it became necessary to rearrange the greater part of the collections, and close them up. This has been done under the superintendence of the Acting-Director. Most of the models belonging to the Canterbury College School of Engineering, which were deposited in the museum, have been handed over to that institntion, but the mining models are still retained