Auckland Institute. 593 



of books, and £117 12s. had been derived from members' subscriptions. 

 The total expenditure had been £1,174 Is. 5d., which included the two 

 exceptional items of £127 14s. lOd. paid on account of groups of mammals, 

 and £115 Is. 9d. for the erection of the Maori house. The credit balance 

 at the Bank of New Zealand at present was £58 3s. 8d. The Council had 

 no change to report with respect to the invested funds of the Institute, 

 the total amount of which (£16,263 Is. 8d.) was the same as last year. 



With the exception of a short period devoted to cleaning and rearrange- 

 ment, the Museum had been open daily to the public during the year. 

 The attendance of visitors had been most satisfactory, and was the largest 

 yet recorded. On Sunday afternoons 20,440 visitors entered the build- 

 ing, being an average of 393 for each Sunday. The greatest attendance 

 was 618, on the 11th June; the smallest 157, on the 27th October. On 

 the seven principal holidays the number of visitors was 2,583, or an average 

 of 369. On ordinary week-days it is believed that the average daily at- 

 tendance was 125, making a total of 38,252 for week-days, or of 61,275 

 for the whole year. Last year the attendance was estimated at 46,285. 

 The number of visitors during the three hours the Museum is open on Sun- 

 day was quite half the total attendance for the remainder of the week. 



Fair progress has been made with the erection of the new Maori 

 house. The elaborately carved sideposts had all been set up, and the 

 framework of the roof completed, the rafters having been painted by 

 Maoris from old designs kindly lent by Mr. C. E. Nelson. A large supply 

 of kakaho, or reeds, had been obtained for the lining of the roof, and many 

 other preparations made. But for the unfortunate destruction of the reed- 

 work panels by fire at Rotorua, where they were being prepared, the house 

 would have been well advanced towards completion. The Council trust, 

 however, that it may yet be finished before the coming winter. 



The second group of large stuffed animals provided by the Mackechnie 

 bequest had been received during the year and placed on exhibition. The 

 third group, consisting of a polar bear and three musk oxen (male, fe- 

 male, and young), was now on its way from England, and would arrive 

 in a few weeks. A fourth group was being prepared, and would probably 

 arrive before the end of the year. The two groups at present exhibited 

 attract considerable attention. 



The increased revenue now derived by the library from the special 

 bequest of £2,000 made by the late Mrs. Mackechnie had enabled the Coun- 

 cil to order three consignments of books from their London agent. 



The question of additional accommodation for the library urgently 

 required consideration. 



The Council desired to convey the thanks of the Institute to the 

 numerous donors to the Museum and library. They also wish to tender 

 the special thanks of the Society to the Tyser Steamship Company and 

 the New Zealand Shipping Company for the free carriage of the groups 

 of mammals obtained from the Mackechnie bequest. The thanks of the 

 Institute were also due to Mr. C. E. Nelson for supervising the construc- 

 tion of various carvings and other material required for the completion 

 of the Maori house, and for much valuable advice connected therewith. 



Election of Officers for 1906. — President - - Professor 

 F. D. Brown ; Vice-Presidents — Professor A. P. W. Thomas and 

 Dr. E. Boberton ; Council — L. J. Bagnall, H. Haines, J. Kirker, 

 E. V. Miller, T. Peacock, D. Petrie, J. A. Poul, J. Beid, Professor 

 H. W. Segar, J. Stewart, J. H. Upton ; Trustees — T. Peacock. 

 J. H. Upton, Professor F. D. Brown ; Secretary and Curator — 

 T. F. Cheeseman, F.L.S. ; Auditor — W. Gorrie. 



