584 ProceedhKjs. 



"I. That each society be left to pubhsh its own pro- 

 ceedings in pamphlet-form or otherwise. The proceedings to 

 comprise : 1. Minutes of meetings. 2. Abstracts of papers or 

 short papers in full. 3. Eeports on discussions. 



" Each society publishing in pamphlet-form to be expected 

 to exchange liberally with other incorporated societies. 



" Papers published at length, or in exhaustive abstract, need 

 not be sent to the Board for republication in the Transactions, 

 unless they require fuller publication with illustration. 



" II. The Board to publish transactions and memoirs only — 

 namely : 1. An annual demy-octavo volume as at present, con- 

 taining miscellaneous papers and general contributions, that 

 require only slight illustrations, or do not form a whole or the 

 definite part of a complete memoir or monograph on any subject. 

 The octavo volume to be called ' Transactions,' and to be dis- 

 tributed free, as at present, to all members of the Institute. 

 2. A quarto volume of special memoirs and monographs that 

 require full illustration, to be published in parts from time to 

 time as funds permit. Authors to have an opportunity of re- 

 vising the press and illustrations in the case of the quarto 

 memoks. The distribution of the memoirs to be on the fol- 

 lowing terms : To members of the Institute (exclusive of 

 honorary members, who will get them free) at half cost-price, 

 or by compounding by a single payment to the Institute, such 

 compounders to be called Fellows of the Institute. 



" That not more than one-fourth of the parliamentary grant 

 be m any year devoted to publishing memoirs, unless in the 

 case of an extra grant being specially made for such purpose." 



As a step towards the adoption of this arrangement, a fresh 

 agreement was entered into with the publishers on the 8th 

 February, 188G, whereby they undertake the entire responsi- 

 bility of placing the annual volume before the scientific public 

 in Europe and America, and take half the risk incurred in 

 printing the volumes required, to meet the extra demand thus 

 created. 



Under this contract the printing of Vol. XVIII. was com- 

 menced in March, and completed towards the end of May. 



This volume commences a new series of the " Transactions 

 of the New Zealand Institute," in which, for convenience and 

 economy, the size of the page has been reduced from royal to 

 demy octavo. An alphabetical index has also been added to the 

 volume for the first time. A general alphabetical index of 

 authors and subjects, for the seventeen volumes which constitute 

 the first series, has been prepared, and will be issued to all 

 members of the Institute. 



Vol. XVIII. contains sixty-two articles, also addresses and 

 abstracts of articles included in the Proceedings and Appendix. 



