xx. Neiv Zealand Institute. 



Since that date have been added the local Institutes of Otago, West- 

 land, Hawke's Bay, and Southland, all of which, I am glad to learn, 

 arc in a flourishing- condition, both as regards numbers and vitality. 

 An Association at Nelson was also incorporated, but I regret to 

 say that circumstances led to its ceasing to exist as a branch of the 

 New Zealand Institute. I trust, however, that efforts which are now 

 being made to resuscitate it will meet with deserved success. 



The principal objects of the Institute as thus founded may be 

 gathered from the list of subjects on which special information was 

 desired, mentioned in the preface to the first volume of Transactions. 

 They include, in short, all subjects of peculiar interest to the country, 

 whether ethnological, zoological, geological (including chemical and 

 mineralogical), or botanical; suggestions for improvements in agricul- 

 ture and farming, sanitary matters, and the development of the 

 country. Towards these and similar subjects, members of all the 

 local Societies were invited to contribute, by personal observation, 

 study, and the reading of papers at meetings, the Government 

 co-operating by paying for the printing of the Annual Volume of 

 Transactions, and the central Institute disseminating the information 

 thus collected by the local bodies. I am happy to say that there is 

 not one of these subjects that has been not merely touched upon, but 

 very carefully gone into ; in fact, I greatly doubt whether any young 

 country in the world has been so systematically investigated as New 

 Zealand has been under the auspices of this Institute. I need not 

 say how much of this has been due to the untiring energy of 

 Dr. Hector, who has not only been the life and soul of the Society, 

 but has had the laborious duty of editing the Volumes of Transactions. 



Three years ago, at the time when it was resolved to limit the 

 Government expenditure in every way possible, it was contemplated 

 to discontinue the annual grant of £500 for the publication of the 

 Transactions ; but the Board of Governors were able to give so good 

 an account of the proceedings of the Institute that, on further con- 

 sideration, the vote was allowed, and has since been continued. 



The Institute has moreover been useful not only as a centre for 

 the operations of local societies, but also as a focus for the work of 

 various kindred departments, such as the Colonial Museum, the 

 Geological Survey, the Laboratory, the Botanic Garden, the Observa- 

 tory, the Meteorological Department, the Department of the Inspector 

 of Weights and Measures, and the Patent Office. These would, no 

 doubt, have in any case existed; but had they been entirely separate, 

 much time and money would have been lost, which have now been 

 wisely saved by their working together under the auspices of the New 

 Zealand Institute. 



