AUCKLAND INSTITUTE. 
First Meetinc. 2nd June, 1879. 
Rev. Dr. Purchas, President, in the chair. 
New Members.—W. P. Hales, N. Harker, Neil Heath, T. Herbert, T. J. 
Harbutt, Rev. J. Paul, C. W. Sanders. 
The Secretary read the list of donations to the Library and Museum, since the last 
meeting. 
The President delivered the vm opening address :— 
ESS. 
We enter to-day on our twelfth session. esses of us ho can look back to our first 
meeting for the reading of papers on the 4th of May, 1868, wil note with pleasure the 
signs of progress by which we are surrounded. Our first list of subscribers recorded in 
our earliest minute-book, contains 23 names; now we number 288. We began without a 
home, and when, after many delays, we obtained possession of the site on which this 
building stands, we were lodged in a ricketty old conglomeration of wooden boxes, which 
did not contain an apartment fit to meet in, and in which we had difficulty in preserving 
Such specimens as we PENES while their suitable exhibition was altogether impossible. 
Now we possess the first instalment of the requisite buildings, erected in no niggardly 
spirit, with a fair portion of suitable furnishing, and a large number of valuable and inter- 
esting —— illustrative of several branches of science. 
ture, we have also made a good beginning. Our library contains a consider- 
able number (about 1200) of scientific works of a high class. These have been obtained, 
the expenditure of our own subscriptions and other funds entrusted to us, and 
partly by donations and bequests. Among the latest additions to our literary treasures, I 
may call attention to Gray’s splendid ‘ Book of Birds,” in 3 vols., and to several volumes 
of “ Conchologia Iconica," which has just been completed, after occupying many years in 
publication. We have at present but a part of this magnificent work, but hope, ere long, 
to obtain the remaining volumes. It is said that some persons have found fault with the 
Council for buying such costly books; but we maintain that this is just the place in 
which such works ought to be found. One of the objects for which we have united in the 
establishment and maintenance of our society is to provide works of reference which we 
could not attain in any other way. We have always cherished the hope that we might be 
able to obtain the means of providing a Free Publie Library for the city on such a scale 
as should satisfy the requirements of readers in all branches of literature. But the hope 
still remains unfulfilled. We have indeed undertaken the custody of the collection of 
books formerly known as the Provincial Council Library, and have expended more than 
we could well afford in providing for the convenience of readers of those books, and so far 
the germ of a public library may be said to exist. It is, however, obvious that a large 
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