15 



The usual Meteorological Observations have been regu- 

 larly received from the Government Observer. There are 

 now eight stations throughout the colony, furnished with 

 first-class instruments, and two additional will soon be 

 opened at King and Swan Islands. Weather telegrams 

 are sent daily to the Melbourne Observatory, whence a 

 forecast of the probable weather for the next 24 hours in 

 Bass' Straits, and on the Northern coast of Tasmania, is 

 daily received and exhibited at the chief Telegraph offices. 



Council. 



No alteration in the Council has taken place during the 

 year, nor have any new candidates been proposed under 

 Rule 31. The provisions of Rule 32 have been duly 

 observed. 



Finance. 



The increase for the year from all sources has been as 

 follows : — Government grant in aid to Museum, £200 ; 

 grant to Gardens, £600; annual subscriptions, &c. £177; 

 from Marine Board, £20 ; sale of plants, &c. at Gardens, 

 £103 19.V. KM.,— making, with balance from 1882, £1128 

 5s. lid. The expenditure amounted to £1070 185.3^/., 

 leaving a balance to credit of £57 7s. Sd. 



A special grant of £100 was made by Parliament for 

 the purchase of additional cases for the Museum, rendered 

 necessary by the increased accommodation required for 

 specimens, of which sum £81 195. 4r/. has been spent, 

 leaving a balance of £18 0^. Sd. available for the same 

 object. 



Gardens. 



Many valuable plants have been introduced during the 

 past year, foremost amongst which may be mentioned a 

 collection of ornamental deciduous trees from Messrs. Van 

 Geert, of Ghent, Belgium, comprising maples, beeches, 

 ashes, oaks, elms, and several others of equal merit ; and 

 from this source alone some 30 species of forest trees have 

 been added to our collection. Disa grandiflora, a superb 

 terrestrial orcliid from the Cape Botanic Gardens, has been 

 successfully introduced. 



