Otagu Institute. 587 



Papers. — 1. " Notes on some Glacier Moraines in the Leith 

 Valley, Dunedin," by Professor Park. {Transactions, p. 444.) 



2. " Notes on the Secular Movements of the New Zealand 

 Coast-line," by Professor Park. {Transactions, p. 440.) 



3. " Notes on the Thames Goldfields," by Professor Park. 

 {Transactions, p. 435.) 



4. " Reference List to the Literature of New Zealand 

 Fishes," by Mr. A. Hamilton. {Transactions, p. 539.) 



5. " Notice of an Electric Ray new to the Fauna of New 

 Zealand, belonging to the Genus Astrape," by Mr. A. Hamil- 

 ton. {Transactions, p. 224.) 



6. "On the Method of Feeding by the Rorqual," by 

 R. Henry. 



A fine specimeu of Histopterus, or boar-fish, caught off 

 Napier in 1900, was exhibited. 



A specimen of the brilliantly coloured fish " Opha " {Lam- 

 pris lima) was recently caught off Timaru and exhibited in 

 Dunedin, but was acquired for an Australian museum. 



Abstract of Annual Report. 



The Council have held seven meetings for the transaction of the 

 business of the Institute. During the session the Counoil have been 

 deprived of the services of two of their number — viz., Mr. Melland, who 

 went to England in July, and Dr. Hocken, who left Dunedin in August 

 for a trip to Europe. Your Council did not deem it necessary to make 

 use of their powers to fill these vacancies. 



The usual number of meetings of the members has been held, and 

 the plan adopted last year of arranging a definite programme of lectures 

 has been again followed ; yet the Council still have reason to regret the 

 relatively small number of members that have been attracted by these 

 lectures, which have covered a wide range of subjects. In addition to 

 these lectures, eleven original contributions have been laid before the 

 Institute for publication in the Transactions. A few years ago it was 

 suggested that natural-history notes — records of observations scarcely 

 worthy of being termed "papers" — might be made by members and 

 handed to the secretary from time to time, but hitherto no response has 

 been made. To the naturalist every careful and accurate observation, 

 however slight and apparently unimportant, has its value, and the Coun- 

 cil would welcome the notes, whether made by the wayside, or the sea- 

 side, or in the bush. Our native fauna and flora are rapidly disappearing, 

 so that every opportunity should be taken of putting on record any obser- 

 vation of habits, of occurrence, of species, &c. 



The number of new members elected during the session is eleven, 

 and the Council hope that this is a promise of further increase, and that 

 some of these new members will, by their efforts, contribute towards 

 rendering the meetings interesting and varied. 



During the last few years, owing to insufficiency of funds, it has 

 been impossible to carry out the binding of the periodicals, but during 

 the present session an attempt has been made to overtake the arrears ; 

 and, with the exception of some less important works, the periodicals up 

 to date have been bound — namely, fifty-one octavo and twelve quarto 

 volumes. The honorary librarian begs to point out to members the neces- 

 sity of entering in the book provided for the purpose any volume borrowed 



