Wellington Philosophical Society. 445 
Tutanekai played to his lover, Hinemoa, on the banks of d Rotorua Lake, three hundred 
years ago; the curiously carved nose flute, on which, in ancient times, the tohungas of the 
Ngatiraukawa practised their sacred music; the al stick by which “King 
Tawhiao ” traces back his ancestry to the earliest of tupunas ; and so forth. He had also 
employed the well-known Austrian artist, Lindauer, to paint life-size portraits of several 
of the more prominent chiefs of the day, all in Maori costume, and typical faces of both 
sexes. The work had been admirably executed, and he felt sure that this series of pictures 
would possess great interest in after times. It must be remembered, however, that 
individual effort laboured under many disadvantages, and it appeared to him that an 
exposition of this kind, possessing a kind of national interest, should be undertaken by 
the Government, and on a far more comprehensive scale. Dr. Buller concluded by saying 
that it was his intention, during his presidential year, to do his utmost to promote and 
encourage this particular branch of local research, and he then resumed his seat amid 
general applause. 
Hon. Mr. Waterhouse said he had listened with great pleasure to the address, 
but was surprised to hear so decided an opinion expressed as to the rapid decline of the 
Maori poople. He thought this view was scarcely borne out Lu the oioi Sebati: but 
that, on the contrary, the Maoris throughout the colony were rath he 
census returns might be accepted as relatively correct, and it appeared to him, from an 
[2 ination of these returns, that there was & larger percentage of children among the 
Maoris than among the French. 1f true, this would go to prove that the Maoris were 
really on the increase. The subject was one of great interest, and he was glad to hear 
from Dr. Buller that he intended, during the coming year, to contribute some papers to 
the “ Transactions,” because there was probably no one more competent to deal with the 
matter. As to the value of the “ Peansachiens, he entirely agreed with the president. He 
had long thought that it would be a wise thing to reprint the more interesting of the 
papers in a popular form for general circulation. 
Hon. Mr. Hart said he took the same view as the last speaker. He believed 
that the general notion of rapid decrease among the Maoris was premature. It had yet to 
be proved that there was an actual diminution. So far, the statistics pointed to the 
opposite conclusion. 
Dr. Newman said he entirely agreed with the president. He had himself on a previous 
occasion expressed his belief, at a meeting of the Society, that the Maoris numbered only 
35,000. He thought Dr. Buller was probably right in placing the number somewhat 
lower. On all hands were proofs of decrease, especially in the Hawke’s Bay district, with 
which he had been more intimately connected. He had no faith in census returns. Even 
Mr. Bryce had told him that these enumerations could not be relied on, as every chief 
was anxious to make his following appear as large as possible. 
Dr. Hector said it could not be denied that this very important subject had hitherto 
been neglected. Although, however, comparatively few papers had appeared in the 
* Transactions,” he was not aware that any had been rejected. He took the opportunity 
of saying this, because a Hawke’s Bay correspondent (Mr. Colenso) had lately complained 
of unfair treatment in this respect, whereas his papers (which were not on Maori subjects), 
had only been delayed, not refused; and it seemed to him unreasonable to make this a 
ground of complaint against the Institute. He entirely concurred in the views put forward 
by Dr. Buller in regard to the Mao aori race. The census returns were quite delusive, as he 
had satisfied himself by careful enquiries in various parts of the country, and he gave the 
meeting several instances in point. As to the urgent necessity for collecting a history of 
