Haast. — On the Early History of the Canterhury Museum. 515 



opening it contained 25,353 specimens, of which 16,055 were exhibited, 

 thus leaving 9,298 specimens in the store-room. Amongst them were 35 

 skins of quadrupeds and 733 skins of birds. These 25,353 specimens con- 

 sisted of 7,134 specimens of geology and palaeontology, 11,218 specimens of 

 zoology, the rest being botanical and ethnological. 



With the opening of the first building, now hidden by the first addition 

 in 1872, I wish to bring my address to a close. That part contains now, on 

 the ground floor, moa skeletons and other zoological collections, and the 

 gallery is devoted to the geological and mineralogical series. This building 

 ought always to be looked upon by our successors with a feeling akin to 

 reverence, and as a proof of the enlightened policj'' of their forefathers, who 

 fought many a battle before its erection could be accomplished. 



Having offered you a short history of the origin and early progress of the 

 Canterbury Museum, you will perhaps allow me to allude, I must confess 

 rather diffidently, to an accusation frequently brought against me, that I 

 was, when there was an opportunity, too greedy to obtain specimens for the 

 Museum. In self-defence, I may appeal to the members present, who, I am 

 sure, will acquit me of the charge, that I bored them inopportunely to 

 obtain what they wished to keep. On the contrary, I have lived long 

 enough to know that there is a great charm in giving, and that this pleasur- 

 able feehng is enhanced when one is a little pressed to do so, thus making 

 the enjoyment of the donor still greater, as it shows him that the presenta- 

 tion is valued. However, there may be a few exceptions to the rule, and 

 wishing to unburden at once my conscience in this repect, you will perhaps 

 allow me to close my address with the narration of one incident in the 

 pursuit of my vocation bearing upon this point. 



Having been informed that a large whale had been stranded a few miles 

 south of the mouth of the Eakaia, I proceeded with an assistant to secure, 

 if iDossible, the skeleton, and to gain other information. Taking a vehicle 

 at the South Eakaia township, we reached the locality after some mishaps, 

 the principal one of which was that the horses broke the pole, got clear of 

 the harness, and ran away. However, a farmer in the neighbourhood was 

 kind enough to drive us to the spot, where I found the carcass of a large 

 sperm whale had been stranded. In examining it we observed that seven 

 of the large front teeth in the lower jaw had been knocked out and carried 

 away by previous visitors ; and as I had not time to stay tiU the skeleton 

 could be cut out, I returned to the Eakaia township the same evening, after 

 having ascertained where the despoilers of the whale's mouth lived. So on 

 my way back I visited these settlers, and with little trouble got four of the 

 teeth back before reaching the Eakaia township. Here two more were 

 retui-ned to me, but the seventh was in the hands of a tradesman, whom I 



