Otago Institute. 549 



At the October meeting opportunity was taken to present Professor P. Marshall 

 with the Hector Medal (1915) of the New Zealand Institute, the presentation being 

 made by Mr. G. M. Thomson, as a Governor and past President of that Institute. 

 The society, as a body, has been honoured by this recognition of the value of the 

 scientific research so ably carried out in recent years by one of its most active 

 members, and takes this opportunity of placing on record its congratulations to 

 Professor Marshall on his well-merited distinction. 



The attendances at the meetings, though somewhat better than they were last 

 year, are still poorer than they should be, considering the society's membership 

 roll. It is to be hoped that the many distractions connected both directly and 

 indirectly with the war will have ceased by next winter's session, so that the 

 meetings may be attended in the way that they deserve to be. 



Technological Branch. — The year 1915 is the fifth year of the existence of the 

 Technological Branch. An innovation adopted by the Committee has been to 

 restrict the meetings to the winter months. There will be no meeting in November 

 as formerly ; while yet another evening is saved by combining the business of the 

 annual meeting with the final lecture for the year. It has not been thought advis- 

 able to attempt to continue the annual dinner for the present. The short-paper 

 evening in September was allowed to lapse. The Committee has had under con- 

 sideration the question of obtaining better attendances at our meetings by securing 

 a room more central and accessible than the University. The Technical School has 

 been suggested. 



Astronomical Branch. — During the year six meetings of the branch have been 

 held, at which seven papers have been read. Although the attendance of the 

 meetings has Suffered somewhat as a result of the war, on the whole they have been 

 entirely satisfactory. 



The observatory at Tanna Hill has been open every fine Friday night for two 

 hours, a member of the Committee being in charge. The Committee hopes that the 

 time is not far distant when the society will be in a position to secure an up-to- 

 date refracting telescope, with tlie necessary accessories, so that interested members 

 may be able to do some useful work. On account of the removal of Tanna Hi. . 

 tho Committee has been faced with the problem of securing a fresh site for tlie 

 observatory, and has decided to approach the City Council on the matter. The 

 Committee recommends a site at the end of Clyde Street, on the rise above the 

 Leith. near the University, and hopes to be able to obtain permission for the 

 re-erection of the observatox'y on the site chosen by the Committee. The society 

 is gr-ateful to Mr. Skey for the use of his telescope, and to the Otago University 

 Council for the use of the Beverley telescope. 



Librarian's Report. — During the year eight new works have been purchased, 

 and five have been presented to the Institute, a smaller number than during last 

 year. The majority of these works are of a scientific character. 



As a result apparently of the troublous times, the journal Bedrock has ceased 

 publication. 



During the year some forty volumes have been bound ; some of these were 

 periodicals, others repDrts of Government Departments, and yet others were 

 monographs which were in paper covers. 



Mr. G. M. Thomson has been good enough to arrange with the Linnean Society 

 that the Journal and Transactions of that society, due to him as a Fellow, shall 

 in future be sent to the Institute library. To Mr. Thomson for this and other 

 donations to the library the society's best thanks are due. 



Quite recently the Council has presented to the University the eight volumes 

 of Murray's New English Dictionary that have hitherto been in our own library. 

 In a measure, this donation may be regarded as a recognition of the many kindnesses 

 shown to the In.stitute by the University authorities in recent years. 



Membership. — During the year six new members have been elected. On the 

 other hand, nineteen members have resigned their membership, and four members 

 (Dr. F. C. Batchelor, and Messrs. T. W. Kempthorne, R. Price, and John Sidey) 

 have been removed by death. The mem.bership roll, therefore, has suffered a net 

 decrease of seventeen, and now stands at 184. 



In connection with the war, it is perhaps worthy of record that twelve members 

 of the Institute have enrolled themselves in the Dominion or Imperial Forces. 

 Drs. Batchelor, Barnett, and O'Neill were given commissions in the New Zealand 

 Medical Corps; Dr. Buddie is serving in the Royal Navy; the Rev. Dutton is 

 Chaplain-Major on the hospital ship " Maheno " ; Major R. Price, Major F. H. 

 Statham, Lieutenant W. D. Stewart, and W. P. Macdougall left either in the New 

 Zealand Expeditionary Force or in its reinforcements; Captain D. B. Waters is to 

 sail with the Engineering Tunnelling Corps ; Lieutenant T. R. Overton with the 

 4th Maori Contingent; and Lieutenant E. F. Roberts is in the Ordnance Engineers 



