Otago Institute. 549 



2. " Notes on the New Zealand Food-fishes," by Mr. T. 

 A)\derton, Curator of the Marine Fish-hatchery ; comnrunicated 

 by Mr. Thomson. 



3. " Further Notes on Lepidoptera,'' by Mr. G. Howes. 



4. " The Dul^edin PhonoHtes," by Dr." Marshall. 



5. " On Two New Species of Leeches," by Dr. Benham. 



Annual Meeting. 



The annual meeting was held. The following is a summary 

 of the report : — 



During the session our Treasurer (Mr. W. Fels) re ugned office on leav- 

 ing Dunedin for a holiday in Europe, and Mr. J. C. Thomson most kindly 

 undertook to take on his work. 



In accordance with a resolution of the members, passed at the meeting 

 ill November last, Messrs. G. M. Thomson and Benham were elected Go- 

 vernors of the New Zealand Institute, to serve for two years. 



Your Council has, as hitherto, interested itself in several matters of 

 scientific and colonial importance, and has memorialised the Government 

 in connection therewith. First, as a result of communications that passed 

 between Mr. G. M. Thomson and Professor Starr Jordan, of the Leland 

 Stanford University, California, it was resolved, " That this Institute 

 desires to bring under the notice of the Government the desirability of 

 obtaining a fuller knowledge of the fish fauna of New Zealand, in view 

 of the great economical importance of the fishes of the colony. It would 

 therefore respectfully urge that the services of the eminent ichthyologists 

 of the United States Fish Commission, who have already done so much 

 work in connection with the fishes of the North Pacific, should be secured, 

 if possible, for the preparation of an illustrated account of the New Zealand 

 fishes." The scheme outlined by Professor Jordan would have enabled 

 the monograph to have been prepared at a comparatively small cost. 

 With your Council the Marine Fish hatchery Board and the Philosophical 

 Institute of Canterbury were associated. We received a certain amount 

 of encouragement to hope that the scheme would be carried out, as the 

 Minister of Marine wrote, in acknowledging the receipt of the resolution, 

 that " the matter will be considered when the estimates are being dealt 

 with." But the disaster at San Francisco did so much damage to the 

 Leland Stanford University, of which Professor Jordan is principal, that 

 it was no longer possible to hope for the services of its zoologist, and, more- 

 over, no sum was placed on the estimates in connection with this scheme. 

 Second : Your Council, with the support of the other scientific societies 

 iu New Zealand, approached the Premier in regard to the a])pointment 

 of a Government botanist. A resolution was adopted, " That it is desirable 

 that a botanical survey of the colony should be made on modern lines, 

 and that a Government botanist, to be attached to the Colonial Museum, 

 should be appointed to carry out such a survey." Members of the House 

 of Representatives were prepared to back the proposal. The executive 

 of the New Zealand Institute were requested to interview the Premier, 

 Ijut we were unsuccessful, as we were informed that " the Government 

 does not propose to take any action in regard to the appointment for the 

 present." The last three words lead us to hojie that in the near future 

 •such an appointment may be made. Third : Steps have been taken to 



