Otago Institute. 541 



Annual Report. 



Since the last report your Council has met nine times for the transac- 

 tion of business. 



During the year Mr. Justice Chapman and Mr. Chamberlain for- 

 warded resignations as members of the Council, but, in view of the near 

 approach of the annual general meeting, it was not considered necessaiy 

 to fill their places on the committee. Your Council desires to place on 

 record its high appreciation of the work of Mr. Justice Chapman, who has 

 been a member of the Council for twenty years. 



During the year five members of the Institute have resigned, and five 

 new members have been elected. The total number of members is 11'2. 



The present session has included seven general meetings. At one of 

 these Professor T. G. R. Blunt, of Canterbury College, read a paper on 

 " Provenval Troubadours," which was highly appreciated by a large 

 attendance of members. A paper by Mr. A. Bathgate on " The Sparrow 

 Plague " also excited general interest ; and the Council wishes to record 

 its sense of obligation to Mr. James Allen for consenting to deliver a 

 lecture on " The Cook Islands " as a fitting close to the session. 



The Council wishes to draw the attention of members to the forth- 

 coming meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of 

 Science, to be held in Dunedin on the 10th January, 1904. It is hoped 

 that all members of the Institute will co-operate in making the meeting as 

 successful as possible. 



Since the last annual meeting the resignation of Sir James Hector 

 has necessitated a change in the legislation under which the New Zealand 

 Institute and its affiliated local institutes were constituted. A Bill has 

 lately passed through Parliament giving effect to various changes that were 

 suggested by the Council of the Canterbury Philcsophical Institute and 

 approved by your Council and other bodies. The most important changes 

 are— (1) More direct representation of the local institutes on the Board 

 of Governors of the New Zealand Institute ; (2) the appointment of the 

 President of the New Zealand Institute and the Editor of the Trans- 

 actions by the Board of Governors. In accordance with the provisions 

 of this Bill Your Council has appointed Messrs. G. M. Thomson and 

 A. Hamilton as our representatives on the Board of Governors. 



The important work, the "Index Faunse Novffi-Zealandiae," under- 

 taken by Captain Hutton and the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 

 is completed. A few advance copies have been received in Christchurch, 

 and no doubt the work will be ready for distribution shortly. 



In regard to the marine-fish hatchery, Mr. George M. Thomson, as 

 the Institute's representative, reports that work has proceeded satisfac- 

 torily. A large concrete tank for supplying water to the hatching-house, 

 &c., has been constructed, an enclosure has been made for two ponds for 

 breeding fish, and a site cleared for the erection of the building which is 

 to contain the hatching-house, aquarium-house, and laboratory. This 

 building and a bouse for the caretaker are now in courfc of erection, and it 

 is expected that they will be completed by the end of the year. Fittings tor 

 the laboratory ar d batching-house have been ordered from Europe and 

 America, and it is intended to open the station during the forthcoming 

 meeting of the Australasian Association. Your Council has so far paid 

 over £100 of the i250 promised to this undertakmg. 



A list of volumes added to the library was appended. 

 The balance-sheet, duly audited, was also adopted. 



Abstract. 



The receipts for the year^ including a balance brought forward of 

 £51 19s. 2s., amount to £103 19s. ; the expenses were £79 18s. 2d. : 

 leaving a balance of £34 lis. lid. in the hands of the banker. 



