New Zcahnid Tiislitute. 511 



Museum. 

 From the 9th July, 1876, to the present date, 14,500 visitors have 

 entered their names in the book kept in the Museum-hall for that purpose. 



There have been 41,159 specimens received into the Museum during 

 1876-77, 12,159 of which are specimens collected by officers of the Geolo- 

 gical Survey Staff. 



Herbarium. — The Herbarium has undergone little change since last 

 report ; specimens of several local plants have been added by the depart- 

 ment, and a collection containing 40 specimens of South Island species 

 has been presented by Captain Campbell-Walker, of the Forest Depart- 

 ment, through Mr. T. Kirk. 



The presentation, referred to in last report, by the Trustees of the 

 British Museum, arrived during the year in good condition, containing 

 about 28,000 species of European and other plants, but, owing to the want 

 of a suitable place where they can be conveniently referred to, they still 

 remain unpacked. 



In connection with the Herbarium Department, a collection of seeds 

 and iDroducts, including a large number of pine cones, have been arranged 

 in the north gallery of the Museum, classified in their natural orders and 

 named. 



During the year about 50 plates have been lithographed, including the 

 illustrations for Vol. IX. of the Transactions of the New Zealand Institute. 

 Sixty maps and sections have been prepared for the Geological Survey 

 Eeports ; and the first part of a descriptive work on the Grasses of New 

 Zealand, containing 10 folio plates and letter-press, has been prepared by 

 Mr. John Buchanan, F.L.S., Botanist and Draughtsman to the Geolo- 

 gical Survey Department. 



Natural History Collections. — The show-cases ordered in London, and 

 those received fi'om the Philadelphia Exhibition, have now been placed in 

 the Museum, and additional accommodation for the display of specimens 

 has been gained by the erection of wall cases round the whole extent of the 

 gallery. The contents of the Museum are now set out on a general plan, 

 although the minute arrangement and cataloguing of the specimens is far 

 from complete. It is intended that the central part of the hall should be 

 devoted to general typical and foreign collections; the north wing to the 

 illustration of the natural history of New Zealand, zoology on the ground 

 floor, and botany in the gallery; while the whole of the south wing is 

 devoted to the collections made in the course of the geological survey of 

 the colony. 



A new edition of the Catalogue of the Museum, which will be framed on 

 the complete prospective arrangement, is in preparation. 



