Haast.—On the Early History of the Canterbury Museum. 515 
_ opening it contained 25,353 specimens, of which 16,055 were exhibited, 
thus leaving 9,298 specimens in the store-room. Amongst them were 85 
a skins of quadrupeds and 783 skins of birds. These 25,353 specimens con- — 
; sisted of 7,184 specimens of geology and palzontology, 11,218 specimens of : 
zoology, the rest being botanical and ethnological. Ke 
- With the opening of the first building, now hidden by the first addition 
in 1872, I wish to bring my address to a close. That part contains now, on 
the ground floor, moa skeletons and other zoological collections, and the 
gallery is devoted to the geological and mineralogical series. This building 
ought always to be looked upon by our successors with a feeling akin to 
reverence, and as a proof of the enlightened policy of their forefathers, who 
fought many a battle before its erection could be accomplished. 
Having offered you a short history of the origin and early progress of the : : 
Canterbury Museum, you will perhaps allow me to allude, I must confess 
rather diffidently, to an accusation frequently brought against me, that I _ 
was, when there was an opportunity, too greedy to obtain specimens for the 
Museum. In self-defence, I may appeal to the members present, who, I am 
‘Sure, will acquit me of the charge, that I bored them inopportunely to 
obtain what they wished to keep. On the contrary, I have lived long 
enough to know that there is a great charm in giving, and that this pleasur- 
able feeling is enhanced when one is a little pressed to do so, thus making 
: Pea enjoyment of the donor still greater, as it shows him that the presenta- — : 
- tion is valued. However, there may ‘be a few exceptions to the rule, and 
Wishing to unburden at once my conscience in this repect, you will perhaps 
: allow me to close my address with the narration of one incident in the : 
__ Pursuit of my vocation bearing upon this point. 
Having been informed that a large whale had been stranded a few tie 
ts South of the mouth of the Rakaia, I proceeded with an assistant to secure, — 
if possible, the skeleton, and to gain other information. Taking a vehicle 
at the South Rakaia township, we reached the locality after some mishaps, — 
the principal one of which was that the horses broke the pole, got clear of 
the harness, and ran away. However, a farmer in the neighbourhood was “ ier 
kind enough to drive us to the spot, where I found the carcass of a large 
Sperm whale had been stranded. In examining it we observed that seven 
of the large front teeth in the lower jaw had been knocked out and carried 
away by previous visitors; and as I had not time to stay till the skeleton Se 
