Hamilton. — Present Position of New Zealand Palxmntology. 55 



who has now retired from active work in the Mines Department, can look 

 back with satisfaction on the present condition of the collection which 

 represents the work of his life. 



The work of bringing together, reticketing, and cataloguing the fossil 

 collections in the Dominion Museum was begun in 1904. By Sir James 

 Hector most of the collections were subdivided to bring together the genera 

 of the families and orders represented, and it was determined to bring together 

 in the collection all the specimens from each locality. This proved a most 

 arduous work, and for want of sorting-space it was found to be impossible, 

 and the specimens of one locality had often to be repacked in several boxes 

 containing other fossils. Finally the ticketing, &c., was finished (excepting 

 the brachiopods and cephalopods in the cases), and for some months past 

 a revision and gathering of the fossils from one locality into as few boxes as 

 possible has been going on. When this work is finished the whole of any 

 collection can be laid out, and the different species culled from the evident 

 duplicates of the same, and, thus pruned, the collection may be placed in 

 the hands of an expert for description. There is even now plenty of material 

 wherewith to make a start — as, for instance, in the large and important 

 collection from Amuri Bluff. 



Mr. McKay has also greatly elaborated the old lists of localities for the 

 guidance of future collectors. 



Since the meeting of the Australasian Association in Dunedin in 1904 

 a new Geological Survey, with Dr. Mackintosh Bell as Director, has been 

 estabUshed, and the palaeontological work done by the officers of the Survev 

 will be found in the new series of Bulletins issued since that time. 



Palfeontology has naturally held a place in the training of the students 

 who have passed through the various courses for certificates and diplomas 

 of the School of Mines of the University of Otago, and it also forms a part 

 of the subject of geology in the degree subjects for the University of New 

 Zealand. 



The results are, so far as I can gather, that, of our students who have 

 attended the Otago School of Mines, twelve mining students have passed 

 the requirements of the examination in general palaeontology. 



In the University of New Zealand 197 students* have, up to the 

 present time, taken geology- including New Zealand pakeontology, for the 

 pass degree, with the following results : Passed, 197. For honours, 24 

 have taken geology, including palaeontology : of these, 16 passed with first- 

 class honours, 7 with second-class, and 1 with third-class. Of these honours 

 students, Clarke, Thomson, Andrew, and Boult have contributed papers to 

 the " Transactions of the New Zealand Institute," which appear under their 

 names in the list at the end of the paper, Mr. Clarke describing as new 

 3 species, Thomson 3 species, Andrew 1 species of MoUusca and some 

 cetacean remains, Boult 1 species ; most of these being Tertiary species. 



This paper is written to point out the present unsatisfactory position 

 of New Zealand palaeontology, and I have endeavoured to provide a base 

 for a new departure when the opportunity occurs for a forward movement. 

 I am convinced that so far as the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic fossils are concerned 

 there is little of permanent value on record, except in the " Voyage of the 

 Novara " and one or two recent papers, and it will be necessary to make a 

 fresh start in the description and correlation of the New Zealand species 

 in the collection. 



* Bachelor of Arts, 107 ; Bachelor of Science, 84 ; Bachelor of Engineering, 6. 



