618 Proceedings. 



Standing Committee's Report.— The annual report of the Standing Com- 

 mittee was received, as follows : — 



Report of Standing Committee. 



Five meetings of the Standing Committee have been held during the past year, 

 the attendance being as follows : Professor Chilton, 4 ; Dr. Cockayne, 4 ; Professor 

 Easterfield, 4 ; Mr. Ewen, 2 ; Mr. Hill, 1 ; Professor Kirk, 4 ; Professor Marshall, 1 ; 

 Dr. Petrie, 1 ; Mr. Stewart, 1 ; Mr. G. M. Thomson, 2 ; Dr. Allan Thomson, 2 ; Mr. 

 Turnbull, 1 ; Mr. Wilson, 1 ; Professor von Zedlitz, 4. 



Hector Memorial Award. — The presentation of the medal to Mr. Elsdon Best took 

 place in the Town Hall, Wellington, on the 5th September, 1914, the President, Pro- 

 fessor Chilton, making the presentation. 



Deed of Trust. — The alteration of the Hector Memorial Deed of Trust to make it 

 rigidly conform to the conditions laid down by the Hector Memorial Committee when 

 handing over the fund to the New Zealand Institute has now been completed. The 

 firm of Chapman, Skerrett, Tripp, and Blair submitted a draft of the proposed amended 

 deed, which was referred to a sub-committee, consisting of Professors Easterfield and 

 von Zedlitz, who reported to the Standing Committee on the 27th June, 1914, as 

 follows : — 



" The Committee set up to report on the letter dated the 20th March from the firm 

 of Chapman, Skerrett, Tripp, aud Blair, and the draft resolution enclosed therewith, 

 beg to report as follows : — 



" 1. The latter part of the letter in question made it appear that in the opinion 

 of the legal expert the Governors were to take into consideration the scientific work 

 done in some particular year. Mr. Skerrett has been further consulted on this point, 

 and in a letter dated the 1st May makes it clear that the investigation in any particular 

 subject, so as to qualify for the prize, may take place in any year or number of years 

 preceding the year in which the prize is awarded. 



" 2. The Committee has carefully compared the draft resolution amending the 

 regulations and the draft deed of covenant submitted by the Institute's legal advisers 

 with the conditions imposed by the Hector Memorial Committee before the funds were 

 vested in the Institute. They detected certain minor discrepancies, and suggested 

 to Mr. Skerrett that these should be rectified. Mr. Skerrett agreed to this in his letter 

 of the 1st May, 1914, and the committee is now of opinion that the deed should be 

 executed." 



The amended deed was duly executed by the President and the Public Trustee 

 on the 31st July, 1914. 



Hutton Memorial. — The presentation of the Hutton Memorial Medal to the recipient 

 for the year 1914, Dr. L. Cockayne, F.R.S., was made at the same time as the Hector 

 Medal. The research grants made at the last annual meeting to Messrs. Hilgendorf (£10) 

 and T. Hall (£20) were duly paid. 



Publications.- — Volume 46 of the "Transactions of the New Zealand Institute" was 

 issued on the 15th June, 1914, and was laid on the table of the House of Representatives 

 and that of the Legislative Council on the 23rd July, 1914. 



Bulletin No. 3, Part II, " Studies in the Bryology of New Zealand," by Mr. H. N. 

 Dixon, was issued on the 7th September, 1914. 



Bulletin No. 1, Part IT and Part III, "Description of New Genera and Species of 

 Coleoptera" was issued on the 20th May, 1914. Part IV is now in the press. 



Finances of the Institute. — The incorporated societies have been duly circularized 

 in connection with the motion of the Hon. Treasurer, Mr. C. A. Ewen, at the last annual 

 meeting, which reads, "That, in terms of Regulation 5, section (e), the Institute, on and 

 after this date, will require from each of the incorporated societies a contribution of 

 2s. 6d. per member," to which motion Professor Marshall moved the following amend- 

 ment, which was carried : " That the question raised in the motion be referred to the 

 different Institutes for consideration and report." Replies of a favourable nature have 

 already been received from the Otago Institute and the Wellington Philosophical Society. 



British Association Reception Committee. — Arrangements had been made to publish, 

 in co-operation with the Reception Committee, the proceedings of the Congress, but, 

 as it was found impossible to hold the meetings, no further action was taken. A report 

 of the Committee will be published elsewhere. 



Decisions of the Standing Committee. — The only other decision of the Standing Com- 

 mittee that is of any importance is that the amount of the Hector Prize for 1914 shall 

 be £45. 



