Philosophical Institute of Canterbury. 575 



funds, and has used its influence to endeavour to secure free passages 

 for the members of the party, but unfortunately in this respect it was 

 unsuccessful. 



The Council in last year's report drew attention to the advisability of 

 the appointment of a Government Botanist, and it is pleased now to state 

 that, while such a post has not yet been created, arrangements have been 

 made between the Government and Dr. Cockayne which are very satis- 

 factory from a scientific point of view, and which enable that gentleman 

 to continue and extend the work which he has so long and so successfully 

 carried on at his own expense. 



The signing of a contract for the construction of a tunnel at Arthur's 

 Pass brought before the Council the problems of interest which might 

 be elucidated in the progress of a work of so great a magnitude. A sub- 

 committee has been appointed and the initial steps have been taken, and 

 arrangements in connection with experiments proposed will form part 

 of the business of the next Council. 



The number of ordinary meetings of the Institute held during the 

 year has been nine, and the average attendance at these has been forty. 

 Addresses have been given as follows : Mr. R. Speight, '' Some Aspects of 

 the Terrace-development in the Valleys of the Canterbury Rivers " ; Dr. 

 L. Cockayne, " The Vegetation of Stewart Island " ; Mr. T. W. Adams, 

 "The Genus Pinus" ; Mr. Jas. Drummond, "Little Barrier Island"; 

 Professor Bickerton, " The Evolution of the Universe ; and one evening 

 was devoted to a discussion on " Theories of Evolution." Besides these, 

 seventeen papers have been read before the Institute, which may be classified 

 as follows : Mathematics and physics, 4 ; geology, 2 ; chemistry. 1 ; 

 botany, 2 ; zoology, 7 ; literature, 1. 



The number of members of the Institute is now 147. 



The Hon. Treasurer's balance-sheet shows that during the year £122 

 Is. 6d. was received for members' subscriptions, that £54 2s. lOd. has been 

 expended in the purchase of books and periodicals for the library, £25 

 has been contributed to the subantarctic expedition, and £10 to the Ker- 

 madecs expedition, leaving a credit balance, including the £50 placed on 

 fixed deposit two years ago, of £83 4s. Of this amount, the sum of 

 £10 has been allocated for expenses connected with the investigations 

 made desirable by the cutting of the Arthur's Pass Tunnel. 



Election of Officers for 1908. — President — Mr. E. G. 

 Hogg ; Vice-Presidents — Dr. Hilgendorf, Mr. K. M. Laing ; 

 Hon. Secretary — Mr. R. Speight ; Hon. Treasurer — Dr. Chilton ; 

 Council — Dr. Cockayne, Mr. J. Drummond, Dr. C. C. Farr, 

 Mr. J. B. Maine, Mr. Edgar R. Waite, Mr. A. M. Wright ; Hon. 

 Auditor— Mr. G. Way, F.I.A.N.Z. 



Mr. Hogg, on taking the chair, referred to the advent of the 

 antarctic ship " Nimrod," and to the approaching arrival of 

 the Carnegie Institute's magnetic- survey yacht " Galilee." 



