Hawke's Bay Branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Napier. Founded 1874. President: I. J. Pohlen, M.A. Hon. Secretary: C. F. H. Pollock. The following is the seventieth Annual Report, for the year ended December 31st, 1843. Meetings: The annual one took place on March 25th, and two meetings of the Council were held. Addresses: On February 23rd, by Mr. B. Given, B.Sc., entitled “Parasite Control of Insect and Plant Pests”; and on October 27th, by Mr. R. Danvers, B.Sc., entitled “Canning and De-hydration in Hawke's Bay.” Membership: This numbers 54 at date. Financial: The accompanying balance sheet shows a credit of £14 1s 9d for the year under review. Hon. Auditor: The resignation of Mr. J. E. Gleadow was received with much regret, and the highest appreciation of his services, extending over 20 years, was recorded. New Members: Elected were Messrs. W. H. Hill (Taupo) and C. N. Mitchell and J. S. Peel (Napier). Paper for Publication: A further paper by Mrs E. A. Hodgson, being “A Review of the N.Z. Species of Plagiochila,” has been submitted to the Transactions with the unanimous approval of the Council. Library: To the Loan Collection have been added 21 early New Zealand volumes from the Napier Museum, and 55 volumes from the Police Office, Napier, for which grateful thanks are recorded by the Society. New volumes purchased are: Landscape (Cotton), Soil Erosion (Ayres), Social Relations of Science (Crowther), The Virus—Life's Enemy (Smith), Man and His Nature (Shrimpton), Physics and Philosophy (Jeans), Young Offenders (Carr-Saunders), New Zealanders and Science (Jenkinson). Council: Members on active service are Drs. A. Clark and G. Waterworth. I. J. Pohlen, President. The Wellington Branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand (Inc.). Seventy-sixth Annual Report, Being the Report of the Council for the Year Ended 30th September, 1943. Membership: The total membership now stands at 229. There were 17 new members elected during the year, 3 resignations were received, 3 members were transferred to other Branches, and 3 members whose subscriptions had been outstanding for over three years were struck off the books of the Society. Two members whose correspondence has been returned through the post have been temporarily removed from the books. The Council also desires to record its sorrow at the death of our esteemed member, Major E. R. Christie. Syllabus: Prior to the drawing-up of the syllabus for the year the Council issued a questionnaire to members. This, although not receiving quite the response that was desired, gave a good cross view of the desires of members of the Society with regard to the nature, duration, and subjects of meetings, meeting places, etc., and was made good use of during the final preparation of the year's syllabus. Meetings: The Society and the Sections have continued to meet at Victoria College, and the Council desires to record its thanks to the College Council for the facilities which so willingly have been placed at the disposal of the Society. The following general meetings have been held:—April 28th, Presidential Address by Mr. R. L. Andrew, “Forgotten Scientific Worthies”; May 26th, “Public Health Services in the U.S.A.,” by Lieut-Colonel T. F. Durham, Director of Food Inspection Branch, U.S. Armed Forces; June 23, “Demonstration: “Pedology,” by Drs. L. I. Grange and J. K. Dixon; “Petrology,” by Dr. C. O. Hutton; “Palaentology,” by Dr. J. Marwick; July 28th, Symposium, “Population Problems,” introduced by Mr. L. S. Hearnshaw and Mr. A. Leigh Hunt; August 25th, “Agricultural Research in Virginia,” by Dr. Harold T. Cook, Chief of the Plant Pathology Department, Virginia Crop Experimental Station, Norfolk, U.S.A.; September 22, Symposium, “The Ultimate Power Possibilities of the Waikato River,” introduced by Mr. G. P. Anderson, Mr. J. Healy and Mr. N. Modriniak.