. Eighth Annual Mteting. 71 



several of them have been sent un to the (Joveininent Printet fur insertion in the 

 volume, and the rest will be definitely dealt with at a subsequent meeting of the 

 committee. Three short papers have already been printed in the Proceedings at 

 the request of the authors, and several of the others sent in seem suitable for 

 dealing with in the same way. The committee would, however, like to have some 

 expression of opinion from the Board of Governors as to the policy to be adopted 

 in future with regard to the insertion of such papers in the Proceedings. Their 

 insertion in the Proceedings would insure more speedy publication, and would pio- 

 bably encourage members to present their papers at an earlier period of the year. 



A considerable number of papers are still hand-written, although the instructions 

 to authors are that the manuscripts must be typewritten unless special permission 

 to send in written manuscripts has been given by the Editor. Some opposition has 

 been shown to the sti-ict interpretation of this rule. Unfortunately, in written 

 manuscripts there is room for much difference of opinion as to what constitutes a 

 clear manuscript, and many, though apparently clear, contain numerous technical 

 terms which are by no means clear to those unacquainted with them, and unneces- 

 sary trouble and mistakes are thus caused. The committee is of opinion that the 

 Editor should have the support of the Board of Governors in returning any 

 manuscript which in his opinion is likely to give the compositor more trouble than 

 a typewritten manuscript would do. It is desirable also that greater attention 

 should be paid to the instructions issued for the preparation of drawings for the 

 Transactions. 



The question of the number of reprints to be supplied to each author has been 

 brought befoie the notice of the committee, and after carefully considering the 

 matter the conunittee recommends that, as hitherto, twenty-five should be the 

 ordinary number supplied gratis, but, in consideration of the facts that a wide 

 distribution of the scientific work done in the Dominion is desirable, and that 

 reprints reach many more persons interested in a particular subject than the com- 

 plete volume of the Transactions can do, the committee suggests that authors who 

 so desire may, with the approval of the Publication Committee, be allowed fifty 

 copies free of charge, and that additional copies, if required, be charged for at 

 cost-price, the rate to be duly announced ; the committee to have power, subject 

 to the approval of the Board of Governors at its annual meeting, to deal with any 

 exceptional cases that may arise. 



The committee has also considered the possibility of more fully indexing the 

 future volumes of the Transactions as they appear. There are several difficulties 

 in the way, and the preparation of a complete index might delay the appearance 

 of the volume, but the committee hopes that when the second part of the index 

 to the first forty volumes, containing the titles of the papers classified according 

 to the subjects dealt with, has appeared it may be possible to include in each 

 volume of the Transactions a subject-index on somewhat the same plan. 



For the Publication Committee. 



Christchurch, 11th .January, 1911. Chas. Chilton. Hon. Editor. 



On the motion of Professor Benhani, seconded by Dr. Hilgendorf, it 

 was resolved tliat the report of the Publications Committee be received. 



Papers fo he printed in Proceedings. — On the motion of Mr. Petrie, 

 seconded by Dr. Cockayne, it was resolved that the Board of Governors 

 approve of the policy of printing short scientific papers in the Proceed- 

 ings of the New Zealand Institute. 



Instructions to Authors of Papers. — On the motion of Professor Ben- 

 ham, seconded bj' Mr. R. Speight, it was resolved that the memorandum 

 for authors in the Transactions, section 1, be amended by the insertion 

 of the words "for the time being" after the word "Editor"; also 

 tjiat the words "By order of the Board of Governors" be placed at 

 the end of the memorandum. 



Auf/tors' Separate Copies. — On the motion of Mr. Speight, seconded 

 bv Mr. K. Wilson, it was resolved that the recommendations of the Publi- 

 cations Committee re authors" separate copies be approved, and that 

 the authors must intimate their wishes as regards the number of copies 

 required when sending in manuscript. 



