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No less than 115 specimens of rocks and minerals have been identified and reported oh this jear by officers of the Department at headquarters. Library. —During the year we have been able to make a great improvement in the condition of the departmental library. This betterment is due partly to the purchase of text-books, but more especially to the generosity of various scientific and mining departments and institutions throughout the world, who have supplied us with their recent publications in exchange for our bulletins, and have even in many instances given us, gratis, past publications, now of considerable value. The library now contains 1,609 volumes. The superintendence of the library, as well as the general clerical work, has been conducted by Mr. John Thompson. Staff. During the year the technical staff of the Department has been increased by the appointment of Messrs. Ernest John Herbert Webb, Edward de Courcy Clarke, and James Henry Adams, Assistant Geologists; Kenneth Montrose Graham, Assistant Topographer; and Owen Ambrose Darby, Cadet Draughtsman, transferred from the Department of Lands and Survey ; while Mr. John Thompson and Mr. Peter Clarke have been appointed to the clerical staff. The personnel of the Department is now as follows: — Director of the Geological Survey ... James Mackintosh Bell, M.A., Ph.D. General Geologist ... ... ... Percy Gates Morgan, M.A. Mining Geologist ... ... ... Colin Fraser, M.Sc. Assistant Geologist ... ... ... Edward de Courcy Clarke, M.A. Assistant Mining Geologist ... ... Ernest John Herbert Webb, B.E. Assistant Mining Geologist ... ... James Henry Adams, B.Sc. Topographer ... ... ... Reginald Palmer Greville. Assistant Topographer ... ... Kenneth Montrose Graham, A.O.S.M. Draughtsman ... ... ... Robert James Crawford. Cadet Draughtsman ... ... Owen Ambrose Darby. Correspondence Clerk ... ... John Thompson. Cadet Clerk .. ... ... Peter Clarke. Acknowledgment. It gives me pleasure here to express my appreciation of the many favours received from the Department of Lands and Survey. I particularly wish to thank them for giving us the services of Mr. George Edward Harris, draughtsman, since the 26th September, and also for allowing another draughtsman to prepare several maps of Bulletin No. 2. New Zealand Geological Survey Exhibit at the New Zealand International Exhibition. We were instructed during the year to prepare a Geological Survey exhibit for the International Exhibition at Christchurch. Owing to the very short time at our disposal, it was absolutely impossible to prepare, with the limited material at hand, an exhibit in the least degree representative of the widely varied and extensive mineral wealth of New Zealand, so we thought it best to limit ourselves to obtaining a good display of minerals and rocks of economic value, discovered or examined in the Hokitika subdivision of North Westland during its geological survey. In this much delay was occasioned owing to the difficulty of obtaining specimens from the high country of Westland at a season when it is covered with snow, but, nevertheless, a collection fairly representative of the mineral wealth of the Hokitika area was obtained. It seems apparent that every effort should now be made to get together as soon as possible at least two representative collections of specimens of New Zealand rocks and minerals of economic value. One of these should be for permanent display in Wellington, and the other might be used for exemplifying the colony's mineral wealth at the various exhibitions throughout the world to which exhibits are sent from this country. These displays might be arranged in such order as to exemplify the various uses to which the rocks and minerals could be placed. In this way, by adopting the system in vogue in the Canadian Geological Survey, the following classes might be separated: — Metals and their ores, such as ores of gold, silver, zinc, copper, &c. Materials used for heat and light, such as petroleum and coal. Minerals for chemical manufactures, such as pyrite and phosphate. Mineral pigments, such as iron, ochres, and cobalt ores. Refractory materials, and minerals applicable to the manufacture of pottery, &c, such as asbestos, soapstone, feldspar, and fireclay. Materials for grinding and polishing, such as grindstone and pulpstone. Materials for fine arts and jewellery, such as greenstone (nephrite). Materials applicable to construction, such as granite and serpentine. There is no doubt that a collection such as this would greatly increase general interest in the rocks and minerals of the colony, and would give a decided stimulus to the mining and quarrying industries. This would, I think, amply compensate for the expense in arranging the displays. • Parties in the Field. This season we have four parties in the field—one in the Coromandel subdivision of the Hauraki division of Auckland, one in the Parapara subdivision of the Karamea division of Nelson, one in the Cromwell subdivision of Western Otago, and one in the Mikonui subdivision of North Westland. The Coromandel work is in charge of Mr. Colin Fraser, and he is assisted by Mr. J. H. Adams. The Parapara party is under my own direction, and I am assisted on the