Wellington Philosophical Society. 47 



important work, it seems to be an unnecessary waste of money (£17 a year). I desire, 

 therefore, as a preliminary, to have a card catalogue made, listing all the books 

 in the libraries that are available, and to supjjly each branch of the Institute with a 

 complete set. Any student consulting the card catalogue will then be able to see if the 

 work he desires is in the country, and the societies will know what works it is unneces- 

 sary for them to order. These are the vital points. 



A further suggestion is also thrown out, which has, unfortunately, been misunder- 

 stood. The Canterbury Branch has announced its intention of specialising in Antarctic 

 literature. I think that this is a move in the right direction, and accordingly I suggested 

 that the others should also specialise in such subjects as New Zealand natiu'al history — 

 the literature of the ethnology of Polynesia or the islands of the South Pacific, or the 

 botany of the South Pacific. In suggesting these subjects, it was never intended that if 

 a library chose to " specialise " in botany it should never buy books in any other branch. 

 However, this view was taken of my suggestion by one society. It would be quite unfair 

 to the members of any society to do such a thing ; and we may be quite sui-e that when 

 Christchurch proceeds to " specialise " on Antarctica it will not fail to add books on 

 other subjects from time to time. 



To insure the best results, it will be necessary for the various library committees 

 to keep in touch with one another when ordering books. For instance, the Dominion 

 Museum has just arranged to get the parts of Salvin's work on the Petrels of New Zealand, 

 three of which have arrived. It is a work of great value to New Zealand ornithologists, 

 and it was necessary for a copy to be in the Dominion for them to consult. But is there 

 any real necessity for four or five copies ? 



This brings me to a side issue which has not been submitted as yet for consideration. 

 If, as I hope, the libraries of the larger branches of the Institute, and the Institute Library, 

 can be made available for general reference by the members of the Institute, can we not 

 bring into the scheme the libraries of the museums, which are in some cases quite distinct 

 from the Institute libraries, and imder other controls ? I am sanguine that this can 

 be clone, and I even go further, and think that under sjiecial restrictions owners of 

 private scientific libraries might agree to sets of Transactions and perhaps a few other 

 technical works not otherwise available in the Dominion being catalogued as available 

 for bona fide workers. 



In all such schemes there must be clear and definite regulations, and I have made 

 it clear that all ap])lications for loans from members must be made through the secretary 

 of the branch institute, and that the institute borrowing is responsible to the branch 

 lending for the return or replacement of the volume borrowed. 



It is cjuite reasonable that each branch institute should be at liberty to have a list 

 of books which are not to be sent away to other branches, although I hope that there 

 will not be many on the list. I know of cases where such exceptions must be made, 

 and in our own case (New Zealand Institute) a like restriction would have, under the 

 terms of the trust, to be made of the books in the Carter Collection. 



It is not intended that the facilities for borrowing should be exercised in the case 

 of travels, text-books, or general literature, unless under very special circumstances, 

 and I think that for the present, at any rate, the society which is asked to make the 

 loan must be the judge as to the desirability of making any such exceptions. 



It may be in-gecl that the number of scientific workers in the Dominion is smalL 

 and that the proper organization of such a scheme will be difficult. I do not think that 

 much labour will be required aftar things are in working-order ; but I am sure that 

 future students will appreciate the greater ease with which they can ascertain if any 

 given pajier is available. 



By the time that the next annual meeting of the New Zealand Institute is held I 

 hope that we shall have formulated a workable scheme for the widest utilisation of the 

 books in the joint libraries, and that we shall have come to an understanding as to the 

 direction in which future expenditure is to take place. My aims are to make the libraries 

 as useful as possible, and to obviate the necessity for unnecessary expanse in dupli- 

 cation of expensive works. 



Now for a few words on scientific research, and some directions in wliiih it seems 

 that our members might turn their attention. The higher and purely technical branches 

 of research are in the good hands of our university professors, and it is not of them that 

 I wish to speak to-night ; but there are subjects and branches of subjects which are well 

 within the range of our society as a body of members united for the study of the- 

 natural history of their country. 



Within the last few years a new departure has been taken in studying the naturaE 

 histoiy of our Dominion. The Canterbury Institute has carried out an organized scheme 

 for researches on the botany and zoology and physical features of the Auckland and out- 

 lying islands to the south. The co-operation of members of the Institute was obtained, 



