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Australia and New Zealand, an invitation for this country to be represented was extended by the Federal Government, and the Government Statistician attended on behalf of the Dominion, and a full report of the Conference was furnished On his return. Publications. —Notwithstanding an increase of over one hundred pages by comparison with the previous issue, no difficulty was experienced in again having the Year-book available before Christmas. For the third year in succession the book has appeared before the standard time set in 1922 —viz., January. The Municipal Handbook reappeared during the year after a lapse of four years, the issue which should have been published in 1922 having had to be omitted for financial reasons. The 1924 publication, 500 additional copies of which were printed off for distribution at the British Empire Exhibition, shows a distinct improvement in matter and general get-up on its predecessors. Dominion Museum. Board of Science and Art. —Meetings of the Board were held on the 3rd October, 1924, and Bth January, 1925, and various aspects of the Museum's work were discussed, including the desirability of more regular expeditions for collecting purposes, the necessity for dry fireproof accommodation for the herbarium, and the need for the appointment of a taxidermist. Matters of a more general nature dealt with included the adoption of a comprehensive report by the Meteorology Committee on the meteorological needs of the Dominion, copies of which were supplied to the Ministers of Marine and of Internal Affairs, and the passing of resolutions advocating a hydrographic survey of the New Zealand coasts with the aid of sonic depth-finders, and the appointment of a research officer in vulcanology for a period of two years. Maori Collection. —During the year as much as possible of the Maori collection was removed to a floor in the Dominion Farmers' Institute building, Featherston Street, which had been fitted as a temporary museum, and was opened to public exhibition on the 23rd June, 1924. A better classification of exhibits is now possible, and public interest in the collection and exhibition is growing as it becomes better known. Collecting Expeditions. —In accordance with the resolution of the Board of Science and Art, a more vigorous policy of collecting has been carried out during the past year. During the winter Mr. H. Cox was engaged to collect Tertiary fossils from localities in south Canterbury and north Otago in order to enable exchanges with the Paris Museum to be made. In December, 1924, Messrs. Oliver and Hamilton explored the Poor Knights and Hen Islands, in company with Mr. W. M. Frazer, Wliangarei Harbour Engineer, who kindly provided a launch, and made extensive collections of plants, fishes, mollusca, and other specimens. Subsequently Mr. Hamilton visited Coromandel and secured specimens of the New Zealand frog, including live specimens for liberation on Kapiti Island. Mr. Phillipps visited Mahia Peninsula in December and secured some Maori specimens, and in February spent some time in the Bay of Islands district collecting fish and making ethnological investigations. In February Miss M. K. Mestayer spent a week at Paraparaumu collecting mollusca and other marine organisms in the neighbourhood. In February also Dr. Thomson made extensive collections of Tertiary fossils in South Canterbury, Oamaru, and Clilden (Southland). Herbarium. —Additions to the herbarium during the past year include collections from the Poor Knights and Hen Islands. From the former islands 120 species were collected. The number previously recorded for the group was sixty. A small collection of plants was also received from Mr. P. G. Morgan. Ornithological Collections. —Several hundred New Zealand and foreign bird-skins were added to the collections by purchase from the Youill Estate. Fish Collections. —A considerable amount of systematic classification has been carried out during the year, and twelve papers have been published. Six new species have been added to the collections and described. Twenty-four other species have been received and added to the large reference collection. Concliology. —During the year the New Zealand collections have been rearranged, and four more show-caseS set out. The arrangement of the foreign mollusca is now being taken in hand, and a series is being placed on exhibition in the gallery. The following are the principal accessions during the last year : Turrids from various dredgings, presented by Miss M. K. Mestayer, and recent species from Poor Knights and Hen Islands; also the following fossils: 210 species from the Eocene of France, by exchanges from Paris Museum ; tertiary mollusca from Castlecliff, Wanganui, collected by Dr. Thomson ; from Kakahu, White Rock River, Blue Cliffs, Waihao, Mount Harris, Duntroon, Otiake, Pukenui, Target Gully, Kakanui, and Clifden, collected by Mr. Cox and Dr. Thomson ; others from various localities, presented by the Geological Survey Branch. Entomology. —For accessions in all orders the Museum is indebted to Colonel R. W. Tate, who during the past season collected over five hundred specimens. Several of these are the subject of a short paper in the Journal of Science and Technology. Other accessions include Coleoptera from G. V. Hudson ; Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Neuroptera, Diptera, and Orthoptera, from Messrs. R. Grimmett, T. R. Harris, and A. V. Wilson. Messrs. H. A. Maunsell and W. R. Wranch presented Lepidoptera from Australia and Singapore. Ethnology. —Accessions to the Maori collections are :• Foot-rest for ho, dug up in swamp, Ohaeawai, presented by Louis Te Hara ; kaheru, presented by Mr. Brandon, Paraparaumu ; collection of artifacts of southern Maoris, acquired by purchase ; cast of pendant of unusual design, presented by G. Graham (per Mr. Elsdon Best) ; stern-post of Maori war-canoe, presented by Mr: Qrmond, Mahia Peninsula. In fjreign ethnology the principal accessions have been a collection of a hundred Egyptian antiquities, presented by the Egypt Exploration Society, and a collection of West African objects, acquired by purchase.

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