MEETINGS OF SOCIETIES. 585 
will be with us longer. The eternal hills are proof against our 
tavages, and while they offer a large field for labour, the work can be as 
well done by our children as by ourselves. There are four times as many 
papers published in the tiansactions on zoological subjects as on matters 
geological, and this disparity we cannot regret, for the reason I have 
given. Though the number of botanical papers in the “Transactions” 
is smaller than those on zoology, yet our botany is much more 
thoroughly known than our zoology. This could hardly have been 
otherwise, and so much has been done, such a mass of facts with regard 
to our native plants has been collected, that the official handbook of the 
New Zealand flora does not by any means represent our knowledge of 
it. It is besides out of print. Mr. Petrie drew your attention to 
this matter last year, and showed how desirable, how necessary, it was 
that a new edition of this work should be undertaken. I refer to it 
now in passing, merely to let you know what has been done towards 
this end since then. Some time during the past winter this branch of 
the institute adopted a resolution, drawn up and proposed by Mr. 
George Thomson, setting forth the importance of this question, and 
asking the Government to make arrangements for bringing out this 
much-required second edition. This resolution was forwarded to the 
other branch societies, and the answers received show that though 
there is some difference of opinion as how best to carry out the work, 
they all with one exception agree in this: that a new edition is 
required. ‘The matter has also been brought upin the House of Repre- 
sentatives. On the 9th of September Sir George Grey asked the 
Government if they would, ‘during the resess, ascertain if Sir Joseph 
Hooker would prepare and publish a second edition of ‘The New 
Zealand Flora,’ as the first edition of that valuable work is exhausted?” 
He further remarked that the work had been for some time entirely out 
of print, and that it was impossible to obtain a copy of a work that was 
of great value in all parts of the world, and that he thought it most 
desirable that copies of a work of this kind should be obtainable. Mr. 
Stout, in his reply, said that the Government would consider the matter 
during the recess, and would communicate with Sir Joseph Hooker to 
see what the expense of such a new edition would be. If the work 
could be reprinted at anything like a reasonable cost, it would he 
done. A few weeks ago a deputation from the council of our local 
society waited on the Premier to further impress on him the desirability 
of action in this matter. I believe that he expressed himself as being 
in thorough sympathy with our views. We may, therefore, I think, 
reasonably expect that as soon as times improve a little the work will 
be handed over to some competent botanist. In matters zoological 
much has been done, but very much more isstilltodo . ... . 
The ethnological papers in the “Transactions” deal mainly with the 
Native race—the Maori—and much valuable information is to be found 
scattered through the volumes. In some respects this is all that could 
be desired, but some important questions are passed over almost in 
silence. The numerous papers of Colenso and others tell us much of 
their habits, history, traditions, and language; but no one has as yet 
taken up systematically the subject of Maori anthropometry. Here 
in the South Island we are placed at a great disadvantage. We have 
few Maories, and these have largely intermarried with the white 
race; but in the North Island the Maori, though rapidly decreasing 
