Mr. Thomson also played a valuable part in interesting the general public by means of his many popular addresses on the native vegetation of this country. Among other addresses he gave the annual Banks Lecture to the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture in 1935. In 1936 the Loder Cup was presented to him in conjunction with Mr. Simpson for meritorious work on the New Zealand flora. The two men collaborated for a number of years with the late Dr. Cockayne, F.R.S., and with Dr. H. H. Allan, of the Plant Research Bureau. Mr. Thomson's private garden comprises one of the most valuable collections in existence of native plants, and many New Zealand and overseas botanists have been able to study these plants there under his guidance. Attendance: Numbers attending the public meetings were 20, 60, 25, 01, 25, 20, 70, 20. Of these the second was a joint meeting with the Dunedin Field Naturalists' Club, and the seventh a joint meeting with the Otago Branch of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry. Apart from these two meetings the adverse effect of the war on the attendance was evident. Representatives on Council of Royal Society: The thanks of the branch are again due to Drs. C. M. Focken and F. J. Turner, representatives of the Council. Representatives on Museum Management Committee: At the beginning of the year Messis. G. Simpson and J. Scott Thomson represented the branch. The late Mr. Thomson's place has now been taken by Mr. L. E. Richdale. Whero Island: The branch has collaborated with the Southland Branch in seeking from the Lands and Survey Department permission to erect a building for the study of native birds. Permission has now been granted and the council of the Otago Branch has authorised payment of a grant of £10 towards the erection of the building. Auditorium Fund: This now stands at £1,573 16s 4d. War Funds: The Branch has invested £100 in the National Savings Account. Microscopic Section: Due to war conditions meetings were restricted to one at which demonstrations were provided for juniors. Astronomical Section: Eye pieces were borrowed to replace those stolen. The observatory was opened on the public nights and was visited by parties from Taieri Aerodrome, Boy Scouts and Gill Guidas. Junior Lectures: The average attendance was 62, a decline due as much to additional school work as to war conditions. Four evenings. Microscopic Section, demonstration; Dr. T. McKibbon, public health; Miss E. J. Batham, M.Sc., parasites; Dr. R. Gardner, plastics. Main Programme: April 13, Presidential Address, “Scientific Method and World Affairs.” May 11, Roger Duff, M.A., Canterbury Museum, “Excavation of Moa-hunter Burials at Wairau Mouth.” Joint meeting with Dunedin Naturalists' Field Club. June 8, Refrigeration in New Zealand—(a) History, E. Hayes, M.A.; (b) Technique, W. A. Partridge. July 13, Symposium— “Ancient Land Connections in New Zealand”; Geology, Dr. W. N. Benson, F.R.S.; Botany, Dr. J. E. Holloway, F.R.S.; Zoology, Professor B. J. Marples. August 10, J. Harris, B.A., “Recent Trends In Library Organisation”; microfilm. September 14, G. Stratford, “A Synopsis of the Fruit Industry In New Zealand.” October 12, Papers reporting original work—Professor B. J. Marples, “Fossil Penguins”; L. Gurr, “A Method of Recording Bird Behaviour.” Dr. H. D. Skinner, “Decorative Design on Fijian Pottery Water Vessels.” November 9, Annual General Meeting. Recent Museum Accessions. Original Papers: E. J. Batham, M.Sc., “The Vascular System of New Zealand Species of Gunnera”; Sir William Benham, F.R.S., “The Octopodus Mollusca of New Zealand, Part IV”; J. T. Linzey, “Hydrography of the Estuary of the Avon and Heathcote”; L. E. Richdale, “The White-faced Storm Petrel or Takahi-kare-moana (Pelagodroma marina maoriana Mathews), Parts I, II, III,” “The Titi Wainui or Fairy Prion (Pachyptila turtur Kuhl). Parts I and II.” The Canterbury Branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Annual Report for the Year 1943. The Council submitted the following report of the year's work to the Annual Meeting, held on Wednesday, December 1, 1943:— Council: Ten ordinary and one special meeting of the Council have been held during the year. Early in the year Dr. R. A. Falla, one of the Branch's