492 Proceedings. 



6. The candidate with the lowest total is then rejected and his row is struck out. 

 The columns are again summed, or, more conveniently, the numbers in the cancelled 

 row are subtracted from the previous sums. The results are checked again by 

 summing to the total n (p\) (p2). 



7. The candidate who now has the lowest total is rejected, and the process is 

 continued until the number left is equal to the number of vacancies. 



8. If at any stage two or more candidates are equal with the smallest totals they 

 must be rejected together, provided that the number of candidates left is not less than 

 the number of vacancies. In the latter case the candidate or candidates for the last 

 place should be decided by drawing lots.* 



Professor Sommerville has worked out a hypothetical election, and has supplied 

 an example of the calculations (to be exhibited at the meeting). 



The following references may be consulted : E. J. Nanson, " Methods of Election," 

 Trans. Roy. Soc. Victoria, 1882 ; G. Hogben, " Preferential Voting in Single-member 

 Constituencies, with Special Reference to the Counting of Votes," Trans. N.Z. Inst., 

 vol. 46, p. 304, 1914; D. M. Y. Sommerville, "A Problem in Voting," Proc. Math. 

 Soc. Edinburgh, 1910, p. 23. 



The Standing Committee suggest, in addition to these rules, one making it obli- 

 gatory on the society which forwards nominations to certify that it has obtained the 

 consent of every nominee. 



All the incorporated societies were circularized on the 12tb April, 1920, to send 

 in nominations, to be accompanied by a statement of the candidates' qualifications. 

 Wellington, Auckland, Canterbury, and Otago Societies sent in twenty nominations, 

 which were issued to the Fellows for them to make a selection of eight. On the 18th 

 August Professor Segar was appointed by the Standing Committee to act as honorary 

 returning officer, and on the 23rd October he forwarded the results of the selection, 

 which was communicated to every Governor on the 27th October, 1920. It now 

 remains for the Board of Governors to elect from these the number of Fellows it is 

 decided to elect, up to four Fellows, to accord with Regulation 23 of the regulations 

 governing the Fellowship of the New Zealand Institute. 



Catalogue of Neiv Zealand Fishes. — The Hon. G. M. Thomson and Dr. J. Allan 

 Thomson were appointed a committee to compile an estimate of the cost of such a 

 catalogue. Their estimate of £1,725 was forwarded to the Hon. Minister of Internal 

 Affairs, who replied on the 22nd October, 1920, that the matter was being dealt with 

 by the Marine Department, and the Minister of Marine had directed that it was to be 

 held over for consideration with next year's estimates. 



Resolutions of the Science Congress, Christchurch, 1919. — Some further information 

 in regard to these had come to hand : — 



1. (a.) The Hon. Minister of Lands replied on the 15th November, 1920, that his 

 Department fully recognized the importance of establishing bench-marks and tide- 

 gauges. In 1908 permanent bench-marks connected to tide gauges were established at 

 Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, Port Chalmers, Nelson, and Westport. In 1918 two 

 additional bench-marks connected to mean sea-level were established at New Plymouth 

 and Dunedin, and other bench-marks and tide-gauges will be erected at various places 

 on the coast from time to time when the importance of the records obtained from them 

 for useful or scientific purposes warrants their establishment. Precise levelling con- 

 necting the bench-marks is contemplated in the near future. 



(b.) An electrograph recording the variations of the electrical state of the atmo- 

 sphere had been suggested by Dr. Chree, F.R.S., of Kew Observatory, and had been 

 ordered from England. 



2. The Hon. Minister of Mines had reported on the 2nd November, 1920, that 

 Mr. J. Marwick, M.A., with first-class honours in geology, had been appointed to the 

 position of Assistant Geologist, to specialize in palaeontology. 



3. (a.) The Hon. Minister of Internal Affairs replied on the 13th November, 1920, 

 that legislation was introduced this session to give effect to the recommendation to 

 alter the standard time from eleven hours and a half to twelve hours in advance of 

 Greenwich mean time, but it was not possible to place it upon the statute-book. 



(b.) The matter of introducing fresh legislation to preserve the native fauna, and 

 also of taking measures to promote education on the subject in the schools, will be 

 considered during the recess. 



(c.) Regarding the offer of Yale Observatory, it has been decided that Dr. Adams, 

 Government Astronomer, should visit Otago and report on suitable sites for the 

 establishment of an observatory. 



* The alternative to this is to take a fresh ballot with these candidates alone ; but, as it is evident 

 that in this case the preferences of the voters as a whole must be very indifferent as regards these candi- 

 dates, it is quite fair that it should be decided by lot and thus avoid the vexation of a second ballot. 



