556 Proceedings. 



Museum and Dominion Museum in removing a number of slabs from the caves for 

 permanent exhibition in the three Museums. The share for Auckland, consisting of ten 

 slabs, is now being packed for transit, and will soon be received 



Lieutenant J. C. Drewet, once a resident of Auckland, but in receDt years employed 

 in survey work in the Federated Malay States, has presented to the Museum, through 

 the kind offices of the High Commissioner for New Zealand, a well-selected collection 

 of twenty-seven articles, including spears, swords, krises, and domestic utensils. All 

 have been obtained in the Malay State of Pahang, and form an acceptable addition to 

 the Museum. 



The Council are indebted to Dr. C. E. Wood, Bishop of Melanesia, for two remark- 

 ably tine full-sized canoes from the Solomon Islands — one a fishing-canoe inlaid with 

 pearl-shell, the other the kind usually employed in voyages from island to island. The 

 Council have had pleasure in showing their appreciation of the services rendered by 

 Dr. Wood to the Museum by electing him an honorary member of the Institute. 



Negotiations were opened with the Gizeh Museum, at Cairo, and a collection of 

 over seventy articles has been obtained, covering a wide range of subjects. These 

 have been carefully packed in Cairo, and by this time are probably on their way. 



The following are the chief additions to the natural-history department during the 

 year : An albino penguin {Eudypiula minor), obtained on the Great Barrier Island, and 

 presented by Mi-. Victor Blackwell ; a specimen of the rare tooth-billed pigeon (Didun- 

 culus strigirostris) from the Samoan Islands, contributed by Mi-. Mason Mitchell, United 

 States Consul at Apia ; a sea-snake (Hydrus platurus), stranded on the Seventy-mile 

 Beach, north of Ahipara, and donated by Mr. Leslie Henderson ; a fine specimen of 

 the bonito {Thynnus pelamys), taken during a voyage between Gisbome and Napier, 

 and forwarded by Mr. P. C. Annan ; some interesting fishes, presented by Mr. H. C. 

 Wright, including specimens of the New Zealand anchovy (Engraulis ecrasicholus), the 

 sowfish (Maccullochia labiosa), and a rare gurnard (Pterygotrigla picta). 



Library. — The expenditure over the library has been rather smaller than usual, 

 amounting to £111 Os. 4d. An order for over seventy volumes was received soon after 

 the last annual meeting, and another was despatched early in June, but did not arrive 

 until the middle of November. The Council have to acknowledge several donations. 

 Among these, Mr. E. A. W. Budge's elaborate folio volume, The Book of the Dead, 

 may be mentioned as a contribution from the Free Public Library ; and also copies of 

 Science Abstracts for 1914 and 1915, presented by Professor Brown. 



Election of Officers for 1917. — President — Mr. J. H. Gunson, Mayor of 

 Auckland ; Vice-Presidents— Hon. E. Mitchelson, Mr. C. J. Parr, C.M.G. ; 

 Council — Professor C. W. Egerton, Mr. J. Kenderdine, Mr. T. W. Leys, 

 Mr. E. V. Miller, Mr. T. Peacock, Mr. D. Petrie, Professor H. W. Segar, 

 Professor A. P. W. Thomas, Mr. J. H. Upton, Mr. H. E. Vaile, Professor 

 F. P. Worley ; trustees— Messrs. T. Peacock, J. H. Upton, J. Reid ; 

 Auditor- Mr. A. Grav. 



