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The skeletons of the extinct New Zealand birds (Aptornis, Cnemiornis) have also been remounted, and additional bones, obtained in 1903 from Ngapara, now render the skeletoned Aptornis nearly complete. Ij The taxidermist has also carefully painted the beaks and feet of many of our native birds to resemble the colours of the living animal, thus giving a much better appearance to the specimens. A number of specimens of invertebrates have been remounted or replaced by better examples. Work of this kind is, of course, constantly being carried out by the taxidermist, who, further, examines all the cases periodically, cleans the specimens, and adds fresh naphthalene, and so forth. Collateral Work. During the year I forwarded to Professor Ehlers, of Gottingen, the well-known specialist on this group, a collection of all the species of marine annelids that I had been gradually accumulating during the last six years. Dr. Ehlers will publish a description of these, and I have requested him to forward the collection to the natural-history department of the British Museum. As being indirectly connected with Museum work, I may mention that a grant of £50 was made by the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science to a small committee, consisting of Professor Thomas (of Auckland), Dr. Chilton (of Christchurch), Mr. Hamilton (of Wellington), and myself, for the purpose of investigating the fauna at the bottom of the sea, at a depth of about 100 fathoms, round our coast. Two attempts were made in January, 1904, to dredge at this depth outside the Otago Heads, under the guidance of Mr. Charles Hedley, of the Australian Museum, who has carried out a good deal of this kind of work. The Otago Harbour Board was good enough to place at our disposal its tug (the " Koputai"), and the Union Company lent us a Thompson sounding apparatus, which was placed under the charge of two officers of the New Zealand Shipping Company. Our first attempt was fruitless, as the sea was too rough to work in, and owing to damage to the steamer we had to return without letting down the dredge. Our second attempt, made on the following day, resulted in the loss of the dredge-bucket, but we then sent down a net with a sack round the bottom, and from a depth of about 120 fathoms obtained a small quantity of sand containing an interesting annelid (Euphrosyne inermis) and a number of small shells, which Mr. Hedley is now working at. Later this gentleman made another expedition from Auckland, with much better results. Many of the shells collected had been hitherto regarded as extinct, and were known only from the Wanganui beds. This agrees with the results obtained off the Australian coast. I hope to make a further attempt during the coming year to investigate the " continental shell" of New Zealand. The completion of the Portobello Marine Fish-hatchery during the past year has also a distinct connection with the Museum work, as it will afford opportunities for obtaining new specimens for the Museum and for research-work, while the laboratory there will enable me to carry on certain kinds of work that cannot be conveniently done in Dunedin. List of Acquisitions. A. New Zealand Zoology. —About a hundred and thirty specimens have been obtained during the past year —some by gift from various residents in Otago and elsewhere (see below), others collected by myself. Amongst the more noticeable are : A small collection of moths, presented by Mr. A. Philpott ; a pouched lamprey —a rare fish —presented by Mr. Goodwin, of Tuapeka ; Ooperipatus viridimaculatus, collected by myself on the Te Anau - Milford Track, and hitherto only known from specimens in the possession of Dr. A. Dendy. Most of these acquisitions are placed in the storeroom for use either as exchanges or for research by myself (see below) or students; some have been placed on exhibition. B. Foreign Zoology. —The few additions include the interesting palolo-worm from Fiji, presented by Dr. Borret, of H.M.S. " Pylades " ; a goura pigeon from New Guinea, presented by Mrs. McDonald ; and various spiders and insects presented by Mr. W. Bull, Mr. Burton, and others. These are in addition to the emperor penguin and the skull of the crab-eating seal, which were purchased. C. Geology, &c. —Mr. Grimshaw, of Sydney, presented some fulgurites —masses of sand fused by lightning ; various fossils were presented by different people. D. Ethnology. —A stone axe-head from New Guinea, presented by Dr. Fulton, and the pair of Norwegian skis obtained by purchase. List of Donors of New Zealand Specimens. To the following persons I have already sent formal acknowledgment for their gifts : J. C. Buckland, Akaroa, egg-cases of mantis and trapdoor spiders; Captain Bollons, Government s.s. " Hinemoa," shells, insects, annelids, &c, from the Kermadecs and from Stephen's Island ; Mrs. Campbell, the Nuggets, a stick insect; W. Christy, Dunedin, fish ; Mr. Duncan, North-east Valley, nest and eggs of the warbler; Dr. Fulton, fresh-water annelids ; Dr. H. E. Finch, Christchurch, barracouta with parasites ; Watts Goodwin, Tuapeka, pouched lamprey ; Miss Grenfell, a large dragon-fly from Central Otago ; A. Hamilton, Wellington, lampshells, Peripatus and Ramulina; H. Hamilton, a fossil shell from Oamaru Cape ; C. Hedley, Sydney, Philobrya; Richard Henry, Dusky Sound, annelids, molluscs, Crustacea, fish, &c ; E. Jennings, taxidermist, Tuatara, gull; Rev. E. B. King, Dunedin, spiders ; J. Mackenzie, earthworms, &c, from Westland; T. McLachlan, a moth from Tekapo; Miss Mestayer, Wellington, shells and annelids ; Mr. Muir, luminous fish from Ocean Beach ; R. Murdoch, Wanganui,