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by the senior free places being now awarded to all boys passing the above examinations. The system only came into operation fully in 1906. It renders a formal examination by examiners appointed by the Board at the end of the year not only unnecessary, but really harmful; the strain of two examinations each lasting over a week following one another would be injurious to most boys. Accordingly there was only a short examination, held by the masters themselves, at the end of the year for the three upper classes, and the examinations of the first and second terms were taken into account in awarding prizes. The examinations for the Middle and Lower School were as full as usual. The senior free place system tends to make our upper classes larger, and a boy's stay at school longer. The numerous district high schools established have affected our numbers—mainly, however, in cutting off the supply of boys who only stay a short time. One result of the facts enumerated is that the length of a boy's stay at school has increased. We were honoured last year by visits from His Excellency Lord Plunket, and Sir John Gorst, who gave interesting and valuable addresses to the boys. On the 13th October the school celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of its foundation, when there was a display of school-work, and a large and enthusiastic gathering of old boys and friends. The old boys determined to raise funds towards erecting a gymnasium as a memorial of the occasion. At the annual speech-night on the 14th December last, Mr. T. Eace, the Canadian Commissioner, was present, and gave an eloquent and stimulating address. The Miller Prize for English Literature, and Professor Wall's Newspaper Prize, were adjudicated by Mr. Harkness. Of the Miller Prize competition he says, " I have examined the papers sent in for the Miller Prize : they were very even in point of merit, the chief difference being in literary style and clearness of arrangement. I congratulate the candidates on their good work." On the Newspaper Prize he says, " Donnelly's paper showed good judgment in the selection of important facts and the omission of unimportant details, combined with an excelllent knowledge of contemporary history. I note also that, though sending in a paper of fifteen pages, he was able to preserve a good literary style throughout, and to avoid errors of good taste. The papers generally display a very creditable knowledge of current events. Very few mistakes were made." Professor Blunt also kindly examined for his own prize in oral French, and awarded it to F. V. Bevan-Brown. Dr. Hight was also good enough to examine for our reading prizes. It will be necessary to add two benches to our chemical laboratories to allow all the classes to do practical work. The distinctions won by former pupils during the year were as follows : Mr. T. I. Bennett passed the London Matriculation in the First Division; Messrs. V. Mahoney, T. McLennan, and J. E. Cull obtained the degree of B.E. ; Mr. H. G. Denham the degree of M.Sc, and the 1851 Exhibition Science Scholarship ; Mr. B. C. E. Atkinson obtained his M.8., Ch.B. (First Class), Edinburgh ; and Messrs. E. H. B. Milson and A. O'Brien the degree of M.D. at London University ; and four old boys obtained their medical degree at Otago University. We have now two companies in the cadet corps, practically the whole Upper School. We have not. however, sufficient uniforms for the increased numbers, and a great many of the old uniforms need replacing, as they are worn out. We require, in fact, fifty new uniforms. The above report, coupled with the report just sent down by the acting Inspector-General, should give the Board of Governors and the public a fair idea of the condition of the school. 0. E. Bevan-Bbown. 2. WoEK OF THE HIGHEST AND LOWEST CLASSES. Highest, —Latin—Cicero, Select Letters (Jeans, Macmillan) ; First Catiline Oration (Keene, Blackie); Horace, Selections from Satires and Epistles (Macmillan); Virgil, Georgics, Book IV (Macmillan); Bradley's Arnold ; Bradley's Aids to Latin Prose ; Kennedy's Eevised Latin Primer ; Gepp and Haigh's Latin Dictionary; Eobinson's First History of the Eomans ; Eivington's Classbook of Latin, Unseen, Book VI. English-—As You Like it, Warwick Shakespeare (Blackie) ; Palgrave's Golden Treasury ; Spenser, Faerie Queene, Book I (Clarendon Press); Thackeray, Esmond, with Introduction and Notes (Macmillan); Nesfield's Manual; Nesfield's Historical English; Stopford Brooke's Literature Primer. French — Modern French Verse, Berthon (Macmillan) ; Advanced French Composition, Duhamel (Eivington's) ; Moliere, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, Fasnacht (Macmillan); Coeurs Eusses (Siepmann's Advanced Series); Parallel French Grammar (Sonnenschein); Waterloo, Erckmann-Chatrian (Cambridge University Press). Mathematics —Loney's Trigonometry, Part I; Hall and Knight's Algebra; Elements of Applied Mathematics (Jessop, Bell); Hall and Stevens's School Geometry, Parts V and VI (Macmillan); Baker and Bourne, Elementary Geometry, Books I to IV; Hogben's Trigonometry Tables. Science—Advanced Inorganic Chemistry (Theoretical), (Bailey, London, W. B. Clive). Gymnastics, Scripture, Greek. Loivest. —Latin—Elementa Latina, to end of active verbs; Scalse Primse; Shorter Latin Primer, for revision of verbs. English—King Arthur and his Court (Greene); Lyra Heroica, " The Bevenge," &c. ; Nesfield's Outlines ; Parsing Notes ; dictation, composition, parsing, analysis (four forms of predicate and easy subordinate clauses) ; also one of sixpenny editions in Lower IV list to be read at home per term. History—First Book of British History (Tout); Longmans' Historical Series for Schools, Book I. Geography—Longmans' Geographical Series, Book II; Mathematical and Physical Geography. French—Siepmann's Primary French Course, first year ; oral French. Mathematics—New School Arithmetic, Pendlebury's (Bell and Sons), without answers ; tots and mental arithmetic ; Practical Exercises in Geometry (Eggar, Macmillah). Science. Nature-study. Art—Same as Lower 111, but more advanced, and with addition of elementary model drawing. Writing — Twice, a -week. Gymnasium — Two lessons a week. Singing—Twice a week. Scripture.