522 Neiv Zealand lyistitute. 



common eight-armed cuttlefish {Octopus maorum) ; (3) a fine collection, 

 comprising 183 species of the marine Invertebrata of North America, pre- 

 sented by the United States Fish Commission. 



Ethnological. 



Very few additions have been made under this head, but the extensive 

 collections sent to the Sydney and Melbourne Exhibitions have been re- 

 placed in the cases, as far as space will allow ; but here, as in all other 

 parts of the Museum, the accommodation is sadly deficient. 



A large collection of Indian articles, consisting of mats, baskets, earthen- 

 ware, etc., has been presented by the Executive Commission for India at 

 the Melbourne Exhibition. 



Melbouene Exhibition. 



A series of physical and geological maps of the colony were exhibited, 

 together with sections and plans illustrative of the gold and coal mines and 

 other mineral resources. As evidence in support of these was a collection 

 of rocks, minerals and fossils, numbering nearly 3,000 specimens, with 

 catalogues, reports, and monographs, on the various branches of the subject. 

 The collections were very carefuUy studied by a jury of scientific men, and 

 their report will appear in the official records of the Exhibition. The col- 

 lection was awarded a first-class certificate and a silver medal. The prepa- 

 ration of these exhibits requu^ed the expenditure of much time and labour, 

 but this was warranted by the opportunity which it afforded of bringing 

 prominently before the public the results of the scientific investigations 

 which have been made of the resources of the colony. 



Heebaeium. 



During the past summer the Alpine ranges west of the Wanaka Lake, 

 which afforded so many new species of plants when first botanicaUy explored 

 by Dr. Hector and Mr. Buchanan in 1862, have again been visited by the 

 latter collector, assisted by Mr. A. McKay, who was at work on the geolo- 

 gical survey of the same district, and the result has been the addition to the 

 Colonial Herbarium of 25,000 specimens, some of which are whoUy new 

 species, and nearly all rare and valuable for purposes of exchange. Unfor- 

 tunately the arrangement in the Museum for the preservation of the herba- 

 rium will not be satisfactory until there has been a considerable expenditure 

 in providing proper insect-proof cabinets. Owing to the want of cabinets, 

 the valuable collection of 28,000 specimens of plants presented by the 

 Trustees of the British Museum, in 1876, still remains in the original 

 packing-cases, and is not accessible for reference and study. 



Paleontology. 



During the year upwards of 7,000 specimens of fossils, collected in the 

 course of the Geological Survey, have been placed in the Museum, and a 



