PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION. 
Iw issuing the first volume of the Transactions or THE NEW ZEALAND 
Institute, the Editor has to acknowledge the many imperfections of the 
work, both in the typography and in the general arrangement, inseparable 
from a first effort to publish in a combined form the Reports of Societies 
only recently organized. 
It will be observed that the size of the volume has been very consider- 
ably increased by the insertion of matter which does not properly belong to 
the proceedings of the current year, such as communications of earlier date 
to the various Societies, and: by the publication of eight essays which were 
written. originally in connection with the New Zealand Exhibition, 1865. 
In future, therefore, the volume will be less bulky and expensive, and it is 
hoped free from the errors which, unavoidably, have crept into the present 
issue, from various causes. 
The volume is divided into three parts—the first part consisting of the 
Proceedings of the various Societies which are now affiliated under the New 
Zealand Institute Act, derived principally from the newspaper reports of 
the meetings, corrected and forwarded by the Secretaries, with abstracts of 
the papers not printed in the Transactions. 
In most instances the authors, at the request of the Board, furnished the 
abstracts of their several papers when required; but in some cases it was 
found impossible to communicate with the authors in time for publication, 
in which case the Editor, on his own responsibility, made the necessary 
abstracts. 
The second part of the work consists of the Transactions of the Institute, 
containing the papers read at the various meetings which were considered 
worthy of being printed in extenso. In making this selection, the Governors 
have dealt liberally with the various authors, in order to encourage future 
orts. ` 
Many of the papers are of a most important character, and all are 
valuable contributions to scientific literature, particularly those bearing on 
the natural history and resources of the colony. 
The Governors regret that two very learned and important papers, both 
by Captain Hutton, viz. “On Sinking Funds,” and “ Flight of Birds,” 
