At the close of the meeting Mr. T. Kelly, M.H.R., exhibited and explained to a number of the members interested in such matters a full-sized model of a new flax-dressing machine. The novelties in the construction were highly approved by those competent to judge of such matters. Third Meeting. 14th August, 1872. Dr. Hector, F.R.S., President, in the chair. New members.—Adino Boughton, Lipman Levy, Charles Nichol. Presentations to the Society, and additions to the Museum were laid on the table. Among these were specimens in a crude and prepared state of the iron paint manufactured from hematite ore, lately discovered near Collingwood; also, a specimen of soap-stone, which has been found in large quantities in the same locality, and will be extremely valuable as a fire-stone for the construction of furnaces; and lastly a splendid sample of tobacco, grown, cured, and packed by the King natives at Tokangamutu, contributed by the Hon. D. McLean. The President then delivered the following

Address. Gentlemen, —- It is the usual custom for the President of this Society to address the members at an early period during the session for which he is elected. I will on the present occasion conform to the custom by selecting a few subjects for comment which relate either to the past Transactions of the Institute or to collateral scientific work which has been done in the colony during the last few years, and which, I think, may be reviewed with profit. I wish, in the first place, to allude to one section of our published Transactions to which only very short notice has been devoted in previous addresses from this chair, as some of the results are important from a practical point of view. I allude to the communications on chemical subjects, which, with one exception, have all been made by Mr. Skey, the Analyst to the Geological Survey Department. I am aware that such papers are not very attractive to the general reader, nor can they be expected to excite much interest or discussion at our meetings; but it must be remembered that the statements advanced in chemical papers are not mere opinions or theories, but describe actual experimental observations which are open to the test of verification by other chemists in their own laboratories.