Auckland Institute. 79' 



.l/(«(6e/-.s.-— It is satisfactory t«i annoume that thirty-Lwo new ineniheis have- 

 been elected since the date of the last annual meeting — a number considerably above 

 the average. On the other hand, fourteen names have been removed from the roll 

 — three from death, seven from resignation, and four from non-payment of sub- 

 scription for more than tw(j consecutive yeais. There is tlius a net increase of 

 eighteen, the total number on the roll at the present time being '204, of whom 

 twelve are life members and 192 annual subscribers. The Council trust that the 

 increase in the membership will be maintained in coming years. They would point 

 out that the chief aim of the Institute — the maintenance "of a free public museum 

 for the instruction and recreation of the people of Auckland — is one which appeals 

 to all classes and which should command a liberal amount of support. 



Finnnrr. — The detailed balance-sheets will make the financial position of the 

 Institute intelligible to all who inspect them, but it may be useful to give a brief 

 synopsis here. The total revenue credited to the Working Account, excluding the- 

 balance in hand at the commencement of the year, has been i"l,l7U lis. Last year 

 the amount was £1,195 Os. 9d.. so that there has been a decrease of iL2\ 9s.' 9d. 

 E.Kamining the chief heads of the balance-sheet, it will be seen that the receipts 

 from thi' invested funds of the Costley Bequest have been £402 18s. 8d._, as against 

 i':}8ti 15s. lor the previous year. The Museum Endowment has yielded i'424 15s. 2d., 

 t!ie amount for 1909 10 being £'502 Ss. But the amcjunts for that period have swollen 

 through the payment of some arrears of rent and interest which should have been 

 ciedited during the previous twelve months. The membei's' subscriptions have 

 realized £191 2s., showing an increase of £17 17s. The total expenditure has been 

 larger than usual, amounting to £1.283 9s.. as against £1,209 lis. 8d. for 1909-10. 

 The increase is principally due to three items — ^the enlarged expenditure over the 

 library caused by the publication of the library catalogue (presently to be referred 

 to), the cost of certain show-cases indispensably required in the Museum, and some 

 unavoidable repairs to the roof and other portions of the building. The balance in 

 hand at the present time amounts to £144 is. lid. There are no changes of im- 

 portance respecting the invested funds of the Institute, the total amount of which, 

 £'16.379 4s. 3d., only very slightly exceeds that announced last year. 



Meetings. — Nine meetings have been held during the year, at which the follow- 

 ing lectures or papers were read : — 



1. " Halley's Comet," by Professor H. W. Segar. 



2. Presidential address, " The Nature of Life," by Di'. IL Briffault. 



3. " Ferro-concrete Structures," by S. E. Lamb, B.Sc 



4. '' Wireless Telephony," by A. Wyllie, M.I.C.E. 



5. " The Ultra-microscope and what it reveals," by E. V. Miller. 



6. "The Effects of the Disappearance of the New Zealand Bush." by Arch- 

 deacon Walsh. 



7. '■ Huxley : a C'riticism and an Appreciation," by the Rev. D. D. Scott. 



8. " The Eelation of Scenery to Geology," by Professor E. W. Skeats, D.Sc. 

 Also nine papers on various scientific subjects (see proceedings of Eighth Meet- 

 ing supra, p. 78). 



Most of the above papers have been forwarded to the New Zealand Institute, 

 with the view of publication in the next volume of Transactions. Volume xlii 

 of the Transactions, containing the papers read before the incorporated societies 

 during the year 1909, has been issued and distributed among the members. 



In last year's report the Council hinted that it would probably be necessary 

 to make temporary arrangements for holding the meetings outside the Museum 

 buildings in the future. The selection of a hall was by no means an easy task, but 

 after full consideration it was decided to engage St. Andrew's Hall, in Symonds 

 Street, for the purpose. On the whole, the choice has proved satisfactory, although 

 it is much to be regretted that want of space should prevent the meetings from 

 being held within the Institute's own buildings. The Council trust that this end 

 may be achieved at no distant date. 



Musciiiii. — With the exception of a few days required for cleaning and re- 

 arrangement, the Museum has been open to the public daily throughout the year. 

 The hours of admission have been, as in former years, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on 

 week-days, and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. The register kept by the janitor 

 on Sundays shows that 17,311 visitors entered the building on that day, being an 

 average of 333 for each Sunday. The greatest attendance was 599 on 31st July : 

 the smallest, 65 on 8th May. On the seven chief holidays of the year the nimiber 

 of visitors was 2,993, or an average of 427. The number of visitors on ordinary 

 week-days is certainly not less than 180, which would make a total of 55,080. 

 Adding to this number the attendance on Sundays and holidays, we have 75,384 



