Eleventh Annual Meeting. 367 



appear to them more important than the proper housing; of a unique and priceless series 

 of scientific specimens ; but this Institute has a continuous existence as the embodi- 

 ment of the scientific opinion of New Zealand, and knows what requires to be done, 

 and 1 am afraid that we have not made our influence in this matter felt in the way that 

 we should have done. The methods of the agitator who manoeuvres the newspapers 

 for his particular purpose are extremely distasteful to me ; but unless some radical im- 

 provement is very soon made, it seems to me that it will be the duty of this Institute 

 to take advantage of every available means of bringing this state of affairs prominently 

 before the people of New Zealand and to continue to agitate on the matter until the 

 Museum collections are housed in a permanent building as fireproof as it is possible 

 to make it. 



But we have a still larger and more important museum entrusted to our care — 

 the zoology, botany, and geology of New Zealand, with its specimens of ancient types, 

 not only found nowhere else in the world, but in so many cases connecting our present 

 plants and animals with those that lived on the earth in former geological ages, and 

 that have become extinct everywhere else. Our botanists have repeatedly pointed out 

 that the flora of New Zealand presents in a comparatively small space all the types of 

 vegetation to be found in the world. It contains many plants found only in particular 

 localities in New Zealand, of extreme interest, and many also of great economic value. 

 The same thing is true of our animals. Every one knows of our tuatara, which a late 

 distinguished zoologist once described as the animal most important zoologically on the 

 face of the earth ; but among the smaller animals there are many types almost as 

 extraordinary, and as well deserving of full and careful study. It is true that a good 

 deal has been done in the work of investigating some of these, but the subject has only 

 been touched on the surface, and there is much that has not yet been attempted at all. 

 Our first duty, however, is to see that these objects are, so far as possible, preserved, so 

 that they may be worked out by our successors, if not by ourselves. Meanwhile our 

 forests are being destroyed at an alarmingly rapid rate, and often for most insufficient 

 reasons, and with them are destroyed also the smaller insects and other animals that 

 live in the bush. Very many of these have not yet been collected or investigated, and 

 they are rapidly becoming extinct. In some notes for a lecture found among a few 

 papers left by the late Captain Hutton, and entrusted to me, there is a pathetic reference 

 to this matter, in which he gives expression to his grief at the small amount of work 

 that it has been possible to do at the entomology of New Zealand ; and I can share 

 his grief, while at the same time recognizing with gratitude what has been done by 

 Captain Hutton himself, Mr. G. V. Hudson, and other workers. 



If this Institute is to take its proper share in the scientific work of New Zealand, 

 its first and most urgent duty, it seems to me, is to secure the preservation of all objects 

 of scientific importance in New Zealand that are liable to be destroyed. The memorials 

 of the Maori race I have already referred to, but we have also to protest against the 

 unnecessary destruction of our forests, and to see that sufficient is preserved untouched 

 on all hilltops and in valleys and other places where it is possible to preserve it without 

 interfering with the advance of settlement, and that specimens of all plants and animals 

 likely to become extinct are collected and properly and permanently preserved. If we 

 are to do this, and to perform satisfactorily the other duties of a scientific society, we 

 must act more energetically than we have sometimes done in the past, and act so that 

 this Institute may become what it should be — the powerful and independent expression 

 of scientific opinion in New Zealand, and the authority to which all would turn who 

 require information or advice on scientific matters. That position we have not y«t 

 attained. Acts dealing with scientific matters are passed by Parliament, regulations 

 regarding fisheries or sealing are gazetted, scientific appointments are made by the 

 Government, by University Colleges and others, Royal Commissions dealing with scien- 

 tific questions are set up, and scientific works are published at public expense without 

 the opinion of this Institute being sought or obtained. Surely we have the knowledge, 

 the ability, and the courage to give a valuable and independent opinion on matters of 

 this kind, and it is our duty so to promote the true interests of the Institute and to 

 make it such an important body that its advice will naturally be sought by all who 

 require it on these matters, and be an indispensable preliminary to action. 



