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magnetic stations originally established in 1907 at Camp Cove on the Auckland Islands, and Perseverance Harbour on the Campbell Islands. A new station was established near the meteorological camp, and was called Yannevar Bush in honour of the Director, Carnegie Institution, Washington, DC., from which institution the magnetic survey instruments are on loan. Last December two of the original magnetic stations on the Chatham Island, Te Roto and Waitangi B, were reoccupied, this being the first occupation since 1924. Evidence on the results of an investigation into the effect of cargo on the aircraft compass of the Dakota air freighter which crashed near Point Rununder in September, 1948, was presented to the Board of Inquiry at Wellington. Magnetic survey data Was supplied to the Marine Department for inclusion in the "' New Zealand Nautical Almanac and Tide Tables." The purchase of another electric calculator facilitated the completion of the reductions and computations arising out of the magnetic resurvey, and charts for all seven magnetic elements have been drawn in the Lands and Survey Department, Christchurch. A distribution has been made of the preliminary declaration chart of New Zealand for epoch 1945.5. Seismology.—The Wood-Anderson and the three-component Galitzin seismographs were operated beneath the band-rotunda near Riccarton Road, Christchurch, with disappointing results. By arrangement with the Christchurch City Council the seismographs were removed and installed in the original cellar in the Botanic Gardens in February, 1949. Here the seismographs are giving greatly improved results. ■ Buildings. —Repairs and alterations were carried out so that the seismographs could be installed in the cellar in the Botanic Gardens. This work was not completed until February, 1949. Equipment. —-Magnetic survey instruments have been ordered from the United States of America and until this equipment comes to hand it will be necessary to retain the instruments at present on loan from the Carnegie Institution, Washington, D.C., for continuity of the survey programme to be maintained. An Askania vertical force magnetometer was transferred to this branch from the Geophysical Survey. Staff.- —Since the reorganization of the observatories in December, 1948, the staff establishment has numbered nine, two of whom are stationed at Apia. Seventh Pacific Science Congress.—During the Congress the many visitors to this branch included Dr. Gutenberg and Dr. Richter, of Pasadena ; Dr. Hodgsen, of Ottawa ; Dr. Berlage, of Batavia ; Dr. Bayen, of Saigon ; and Mr. Thyer, of Melbourne. At the .Christchurch session of the Congress members of the staff gave geomagnetic papers, and another member read the translation of a paper for a French author. OCCUPATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH UNIT Director: Mr. I). Straker The work of the'lndustrial Psychology Division was greatly reduced, partly owing to loss of trained staff, and partly by the transfer of responsibility for industrial servicing and vocational advisory work to the Personnel Advisory Division of the Department of Labour and Employment. The Christchurch office was closed at the beginning of May and its records transferred to the Wellington office. The sole remaining investigator did a considerable amount of travelling as a member of the Aircrew Selection Board of the R.N.Z.A.F. Apart from this, his time was fully occupied with his duties as Secretary to the Consultative Committee on the Scientific Man-power Resources of New Zealand ; the report of this Committee was published in December. A start was then made on a survey of the use of psychological tests in New Zealand. At the beginning of January the Division was renamed the Occupational Psychology Research Unit. A senior industrial psychologist was obtained from England to take charge of this unit, and he commenced duty in mid-March.

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