130 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



society will shortly find that, if not all, a fair proportionate 

 number will have again passed the scrutinising ordeal of the 

 Governors and Director of the Institute. 



I confess I would much rather have seen the expected 

 annual volume of the Transactions, as from it we should have 

 learned the number, the variety, and the quality of its papers 

 — contributions from members of the New Zealand Institute 

 scattered throughout tbe colony. And these papers, or some 

 of them, in brief review I might with pleasure now bring 

 before you, just to show the working of the united society 

 during the past year, and not unlikely serving to stimulate 

 this branch of it to greater exertions. 



I have also noticed in our Council's report, just adverted 

 to, that the number of papers read, with the President's open- 

 ing address and a lecture delivered, were, at least, increased 

 in number above those of the preceding year. As I have said 

 before, speaking from this place, so say I now again, that I 

 should like to see a much larger number of papers, both suit- 

 able and interesting, and on various subjects, annually intro- 

 duced. Moreover, I think it is high time for some, at least, of 

 our older members, who have been so many years in our ship 

 as to have quite served their full term of apprenticeship, to 

 come to the fore and perform their share of duty, if not in the 

 work of papers, yet in the collecting and preserving of speci- 

 mens in any and every branch of natural science for the 

 museum. And here I will quote a paragraph from my last 

 presidential address from this chair, it being still so very 

 suitable : — 



" There is yet another prominent feature in our last report 

 in connection with the relatively fewer number of papers 

 read here during the session of 1887 — viz., the still greater 

 paucity of their writers. This, however, should not be, as 

 it throws the working of our ship upon a few hands only; and 

 this, if continued, will surely bring about, not a mutiny, but 

 the stoppage altogether of her sailing. For, in my opinion, 

 this branch of the New Zealand Institute will droop and 

 wither and die if it becomes unfruitful. The ordinary meet- 

 ings will not continue to be held unless there are original 

 papers to brmg before the members ; and if this should happen, 

 and consequently no papers from the Hawke's Bay auxiliary 

 appear in the annual volume, then the large number of 

 country and other members, who, from their residing at a 

 distance, are precluded from attending the ordinary ineetings, 

 will cease remaining subscribers. In this ship or hive there 

 should be no drones. Our society is both smaller and poorer 

 than other kindred ones in this North Island — Auckland and 

 Wellington. Happily there is no distinction made on this 

 account ; nevertheless, we here in Hawke's Bay must feel it. 



