Annual Meeting. 481 



Dr. C. E. Adams, to whom £150 was granted (through the Wellington Philosophical 

 Society) for research in connection with astronomical sites, reported on the 14th 

 January, 1920, that a programme of test observations was being arranged, and would 

 be available for use in the field in May, 1920, when it was proposed to begin in the South' 

 Island at about 45° S. latitude. 



Professor H. B. Kirk, to whom £25 was granted in 1917 (through the WeUington 

 Philosophical Society) for investigating methods of killing mosquitoes and larvae, 

 reported on the 3rd January, 1920, that the whole of the grant had been expended. 

 The experiments made confirmed the view expressed in the previous report that the 

 cresoles in the pure state are not very effective, and that neither they nor the phenols 

 are so effective as a mixture of all together. During 1919 he obtained no positive results 

 of equal value with those he had already obtained — that is, that he had found no 

 larvicide of equal efficiency with hght oil. Experiments had also been made with 

 tangle-foot mixtures. 



Professor T. H. Easterfield, to whom £250 was granted in 1919 (through the 

 Wellington Philosophical Society), reported that the investigation on mineral oils, waxes, 

 and resins has been proceeding steadily since July last, and the first instalment of the 

 investigation will be ready foi; publication by May next. Of the sum of £250 granted 

 for the research, £98 19s. has been expended (almost entirely on the salaries of 

 assistants), leaving a balance of £151 Is. 



Dr. J. Allan Thomson, to whom £100 was granted in 1919 (through the Wellington 

 Philosophical Society) for a research into the chemical characters of igneous rocks, 

 reported on the 28th January, 1920, that the work could not be begun until November, 

 1919, owing to the delay in arrival of the necessary literature from America. Since then 

 Dr. Allan Thomson has had University students at work tabulating and plotting 

 rock-analyses. So far (January, 1920) £53 12s. 6d. had been expended. 



Thomas H. Easterfield. 

 f. w. furkert. 

 B. C. Aston. 



Professor Kirk explained that the item of expenditure, " Professor Kirk, 

 travelling-expenses to Kapiti Island, £5 Is.," referred to the expenses of 

 Mr. Bendall as well as his own. 



Mr. Hill asked whether the Colenso botanical collection was being well 

 cared for, and the President assured him that it was. 



Correspondence : Resolutions oj Science Congress. — The replies from 

 Government Departments to the resolutions passed at the Science Congress, 

 1919, were read by the Hon. Secretary. On the motion of Professor Kirk, 

 it was resolved, That the matter be referred to the Standing Committee to 

 take whatever action may be necessary in following up these resolutions. 



National Efficiency Board's Report. — A letter, dated 14th March, 1919, 

 from the Hon. the Minister of Internal Affairs was read. The letter stated 

 that the Government could not at that time see its way to adopt the 

 report of the National Efficiency Board, but had given instructions for 

 the compilation of an annual census of industries. On the motion of 

 Professor Easterfield, seconded by Mr. Hill, it was resolved. That the 

 Mnister of Internal Affairs be approached by a deputation urging that 

 efiect be given to the resolutions of the National Efficiency Board. 



Proposed Contour Map. — A letter of the 20th August, 1919, from the 

 Wellington Philosophical Society, urging the preparation of a contoured 

 topographical map, was read. On the motion of Dr. J. Allan Thomson, 

 seconded by Mr. Hill, it was resolved, That in the opinion of the New 

 Zealand Institute the preparation of a contoured topographical map of 

 New Zealand, on as large a scale as practicable (say, 1 : 25,000), is now an 

 imperative necessity, as the map is required for agricultural, geological, 

 and geographical purposes. 



16— Trans. 



