AUCKLAND INSTITUTE. 



First Meeting : 13th June, 1892. 



Professor F. D. Brown, President, in the chair. 



New Members. — B. Garlick, J. W. Lusher, H. Shrews- 

 bury, G. W. Wright. 



The Secretary read a list of donations \o the Library and 

 Museum received since the last meeting. 



The President delivered the anniversary address. He said that on 

 the two previous occasions when the members had honoured him by 

 placing him in the responsible position of President he had tbought it his 

 duty to say something respecting the enlargement of the Museum and its 

 position generally. But now that an important addition to the building 

 was nearly completed, it was no longer necessary to say anything on that 

 subject, except in the way of congratulating the members on the im- 

 proved prospects of both Museum and Institute. He then drew attention 

 to a letter recently received from the Minister of Lands, intimating that, 

 in response to the representations of the Institute, the Government 

 would endeavour to purchase the Little Barrier Island as a preserve for 

 native birds. The satisfaction he derived from that letter, however, was 

 to a certain extent diminished by the knowledge that at the present time 

 the timber growing on the island was being rapidly cut down, and the 

 birds destroyed ; so that, unless the action taken by the Government was 

 speedy, it would not be of much avail. After these preliminary remarks 

 he went on to speak of those recent discoveries respecting the nature and 

 constitution of ether which render it probable that photographs may be 

 taken in colours, and electrical signals made without the aid of wires, 

 illustrating his remarks with diagrams and specially- constructed 

 apparatus. 



Mr. Peacock proposed a vote of thanks to Professor Brown for his 

 able address. He had succeeded in interesting all present in the subject 

 he had selected, and his lucid and thorough explanations of many obscure 

 points were specially valuable. 



The motion was seconded by Dr. Purchas, and carried unanimously. 



Second Meeting: 27th June, 1892. 



Professor F. D. Brown, President, in the chair. 



Neiv Member. — E. W. Payton. 



Papers. — 1. " On the Occurrence of Granite and Gneissic 

 Pocks in the King-country," by James Park, F.G.S. {Trans- 

 actions, p. 353.) 



2. " Evolutionary Ethics," by the Eev. J. Bates. 

 The Chairman said they would all agree with him that the paper 

 was a very valuable one, and no doubt some of the members would like 



