NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE 



THIRTY-NINTH ANNUAL REPORT. 



The fourth annual meeting ot the Board of Governors under 

 the New Zealand Institute Act of 1903 was held in the Dominion 

 Museum, WellingtoD, on the 31st January, 1907, and was at- 

 tended by ten members, under the presidency of Sir James 

 Hector. The representatives of the Governor in Council were 

 Messrs. A. Hamilton, J. W. Joynt, E. Tregear, and J. Young. 

 The representatives of the various incorporated societies who 

 were elected in accordance with the Act were : Auckland In- 

 stitute — Professor Thomas and Mr. J. Stewart ; Wellington 

 Philosophical Society — Professor Easterneld and Mr. M. Chap- 

 man ; Philosophical Institute of Canterbury — Professor Chilton 

 and Dr. Farr ; Otago Institute — Professor Benham and Mr. 

 G. M. Thomson ; Hawke's Bay Philosophical Institute — Mr. 

 H. Hill ; Nelson Institute — Dr. Cockayne ; Westland Institute 

 —Mr. T. H. Gill ; Manawatu Philosophical Society— Mr. W. J. 

 O'Donnell. 



The following officers were elected for the year : President 

 —Mr. G. M. Thomson, E.L.S., F.C.S. ; Treasurer— Mr. Martin 

 Chapman, K.C. ; Editor of the Transactions, and Librarian — 

 Mr. A. Hamilton ; Secretary— Mr. T. H. Gill, M.A., LL.B. 



The honorary members elected were Messrs. F. E. Beddard, 

 F.R.S. ; J. Milne, F.R.S. ; G. R. Brady, F.R.S. ; and Dr. A. 

 Dendy, F.R.S. During the year three honorary members have 

 died— viz., Mr. Alfred Newton, F.R.S. ; Mr. Robert J. Ellery, 

 F.R.S. ; and Lord Kelvin, F.R.S. — leaving twenty-six on the 

 roll. It will, therefore, be necessary to elect four new members. 



The world of science in general and the New Zealand In- 

 stitute in particular have sustained a great loss by the death 

 of Sir James Hector, F.R.S., a former President of this Insti- 

 tute. His additions to the knowledge of the botany and zoology 

 of the Dominion, especially in the earlier years of his work 

 here, were extensive and valuable ; but it was chiefly in his 

 position as first Director of the Geological Survey of these Is- 

 lands that he made his mark as a scientific man. He acted as 

 chief scientific adviser of successive Governments during a 

 period of over thirty years ; while the Senate of the New Zealand 

 University showed their appreciation of his work in education 

 by electing him Chancellor, a position he held for many years. 

 The question of considering what steps should be taken to per- 



