6 



1 . The establishment of a uniform system of time, to be observed throughout 

 the Colony, in pursuance of a decision of the Legislature to that effect, has ren- 

 dered necessary the erection of a small Observatory, which is now nearly complete. 



2. The attention of the Government having been solicited by Commodore 

 Lambert, to the expediency of a more accurate determination of the longitude 

 of this Colony, a Board has been appointed to take advantage, for this purpose, 

 of the above-mentioned Observatory. As this establishment will be in 

 communication, by electric telegraph, with all other stations, it may be 

 rendered available for determining the differences of longitude between the 

 several parts of these Islands. 



3. Much practical interest attaches to the accurate investigation of the 

 prevailing currents of the ocean, and the ends of science woxild be promoted 

 by taking systematic observations with the thermometer and dredge round the 

 New Zealand coasts. Some progress has already been made in this direction, 

 and we may confidently rely on the co-operation of the Admiralty, in this, and 

 in all other enquiries of a similar nature. 



4. The reports of the Meteorological Department show, that the machinery 

 for carrying out this important branch of research is now thoroughly organized, 

 and that full dependence may be placed on the results, as affording an exact 

 comparison of the climate in the several districts of these Islands. Meteoro- 

 logical data, respecting the southern latitudes, will be of great assistance to the 

 expeditions organized to visit these seas in 1874-1882, with the special object 

 of making astronomical observations of the same kind as those, which first, 

 one hundred years ago, led Captain Cook to this quarter of the globe. It 

 should never be forgotten that it was an expedition planned for the purpose of 

 one scientific determination, which ultimately brought about the settlement of 

 the entire group of the Australian Colonies. 



5. From the reports of the Geological Department it will be seen that 

 fossils have been obtained which will facilitate the comparison of our coal 

 strata with those of the neighbouring Australian Continent ; also, that New 

 Zealand is not without representatives of the secondary formations, containing 

 the remains of gigantic reptiles, similar to those occurring in England, and so 

 familiar to us through the writings of Buckland and Mantell. 



To the same department belong Captain Hutton's Reports on the Thames 

 Gold Fields, showing, in a clear and suggestive manner, the wonderful 

 development of that district, 



I have already detained you too long, and can now only allude to many 

 more interesting subjects ; among others, to the efforts of the several Acclima- 

 tization Societies already established in New Zealand. We may confidently 

 hope that, sooner or later, they will be as successful in introducing the salmon 

 and other fish, as they have already proved in introducing so many of the 

 animals and birds of the Old World. 



