470 New Zealand Institute. 



tions of 1,050 species of beetles, a large proportion of which are new. A 

 leading naturahst has expressed his opinion that no country outside Europe 

 and America has such a complete descriptive catalogue of this class of 

 animal Hfe, a thorough knowledge of which is of the utmost practical 

 importance to the agriculturist. 



A work descriptive of the economic minerals of New Zealand, embody- 

 ing all the results of the work done in the Laboratory since its establishment 

 — part of which only has hitherto been published — is being prepared for 

 press with the assistance of Mr. Cox, and it is hoped may be issued some 

 time during the year. 



Meteokology. 



Observations are taken continuously on a uniform system, by the use of 

 registering instruments, at the following stations, fifteen in number : — 

 Mongonui, Auckland, New Plymouth, Napier, Wanganui, Wellington, Nel- 

 son, Cape Campbell, Christchurch, Bealey, Hokitika, Dunedia, Queenstown, 

 Wallacetown, Waitangi (Chatham Islands). 



The observations are taken at 9-30 each morning, and are published in 

 the following returns : — 



1. At the end of the month the returns are completed and forwarded to 

 the head office at Wellington, when, after having been examined, corrected, 

 and reduced, the results are prepared for publication in the Gazette. 



2. At the end of the year the monthly sheets from these fifteen stations 

 are averaged, and a comparative table, showing the climate of New Zealand 

 for the year, prepared, and the whole forwarded to the Eegistrar-General 

 for publication with the statistics of the colony. 



3. A monthly return is prepared for publication with "Vital Statistics," 

 from information received by telegram from the six principal stations. 



4. A return is also fm^nished to the press by the Wellington observer, giving 

 the daily readings, with averages and remarks, for each month for that place. 



5. A special yearly report is made on the climate of New Zealand, in- 

 cluding results from all stations, as compared with previous years, for 

 publication in the volume of Transactions of the New Zealand Institute. 



6. A return, giving an abstract of the weather for the year, is also fur- 

 nished for insertion in the yearly " Wellington Almanac." 



7. Every two years a report is published in a pamphlet form, containing 

 aU the results of meteorological observations, and arranged in a convenient 

 form for reference and comparison, together with all extra information from 

 other than official som'ces on the subject, and giving diagrams and curves 

 of the principal readings. 



Time-Ball Obsebvatoky. 

 The astronomical observations required for giving mean time for the use 

 of the Telegraph Department and throughout the colony are taken, as 



