Wellington Philosophical Societi/. 539 



5. " A revised Arrangement of tlie New Zealand Species of Dacrydiim, 

 with Descriptious of new Species," by T. Kirk, F.L.S. {Trans., p. 883.) 



6. "An Enumeration of recent Additions to the New Zealand Flora, with 

 critical and geographical Notes," by T. Kirk, F.L.S. {See Appendix.) 



The retu-ing President then delivered the fohowing Anniversary 



ADDRESS. 

 It is my duty, ou Retiring from the office of President of tliis Society for the past 

 year, shortly to refer to its labours since the last annual address was delivered, and I 

 can only regret that urgent business engagements and the limited time at my disposal 

 prior to my contemplated departure for Europe have prevented my doing such justice to 

 the subjects of those labours as they deserve. Unfortunately, too, my predecessor was 

 unable to deliver the usual address, and the Society was thus deprived of the advantage 

 of his review of the work done during his term of ofSce, besides which he has necessarily 

 left the duty of doing so to less able hands. 



A glance at the Transactions of the New Zealand Institute for the year ending May, 

 1877, will, I am happy to say, show that the interest taken in those classes of scientific 

 subjects which have ordinarily occupied the attention of members of this society, has in 

 no degree abated, for we find that of the miscellaneous essays 19 out of 29 were con- 

 tributed by members of this Society, of those on zoology 12 out of 38, on botany 12 out 

 of 15, on chemistry the whole, and on geology 5 out of 9, whilst several of the remaining 

 pubhshed papers are reprints from the contributions of foreign authors to the " Annals 

 and Magazine of Natural History," a fact which increases the proportion in which our 

 society contributed, during the year in question, to the Transactions of the Institute. 



But it is not alone by the number of its contributed papers that our Society may be 

 considered as distinguished in its labours during the year now under review. Many of 

 these papers are of high scientific value and interest, not merely because the facts stated 

 in them have resulted from careful observation — a matter of primary importance in all 

 scientific work,— but because the conclusions deduced from those facts are thought out 

 and given in the spirit of sound philosophical enquhy. 



Amongst the more important contributions I may instance those of Dr. Newman, 

 Mr. Eous Marten, Mr. Coleman Phillips, Dr. Hector, Dr. Duller, Mr. Kirk, Dr. Curl, 

 Mr. Thomson (the Siuweyor-General), Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Skey, and Mr. A. McKay; and 

 although some of these papers open questions of a controversial character, there can be 

 little doubt of then- respective values as additions to the common stock of scientific 

 knowledge. 



As in the preceding year, so in the past one, our Society takes foremost rank in 

 contributions to the Transactions, for I find that it has contributed 8 miscellaneous 

 essays, 13 papers on zoology, 12 on botany, 3 on chemistry, and 8 on geology, whilst the 

 range of subjects is in no degree narrowed, and the treatment has been characterized by 

 the same amount of care and research. 



It is, however, fah to observe in this connection that our Society has the advantage 

 of numbering amongst its members several gentlemen connected with the scientific stafi' 

 of the Government, who naturally enjoy far greater opportunities of observation than fall 

 to the lot of the majority of the members either of this or of the other societies affiliated 

 to the Institute. It cannot be denied, however, that in some parts of the colony s'leh 

 opportunities as do occur are not taken advantage of, and thus many facts, which, ii 



