HAWKE'S BAY PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3002, 8 February 1881, Page 2

HAWKE'S BAY PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTE.

The annual meetug of this Society was held in the Atbenmum yesterday; there was a fair number of members present, and among them several from the country. The chair was taken by the President, the Right Rev, the Bishop of Waiapu. From the report of the past year's proceedings and yearly statement of accounts laid before the meeting by the secretary, we gather the following items of interest: —

Nine papers on various scientific subjects written by members had been read, and two lectures delivered, at the ordinary meetings of the Society, during the last winter's session; those papers had been transmitted to Dr Hector for publication (if approved of) in the forthcoming volume of the " Transactions N.Z. Institute." Several curious and interesting specimens—Zoological, Botanical, Fossil, and Geological—had been received from members during the year; for which special thanks had been voted, with an earnest hope that similar donations for their Museum would both continue and increase.

of the 78 members, whose names were published in the last year's report, 3 had died (Sir T. Tancred, Mr E. Carter, and Mr G. Peacock) and 6 had resigned—of these latter 4 had removed out of the Hawke's Bay district; thus the last year's number of members had been largely reduced by the loss of 9, leaving only 69; but, on the other hand, no less than 16 new members had been elected during the year ; so that the gross total of members now stands at 85.

A pleasing feature (on which the report read dwelt with much satisfaction), was, the finding among those newly-elected members several young men, some of whom had been both born and brought up here among ub, — who had been evidently attracted towards the pleasurable following of Natural Science ; —as the report feelingly said, "May their number speedily increase J" During the past year, £fiO worth of valuable hooka had been received from

England and added to the library, and £60, additional, had been lately remitted thither to purchase more.

An audited balance was shown to cash credit ot £200 5s 2d, besides about £65 due for this year's subscriptions. As may be readily supposed, such a highly favorable report was received with great satisfaction by the members ; who, also, warmly voted their thanks to all the outgoing officers. A new by-law was also passed, to the effect, that members not paying their subscriptions for two successive years, should thereby forfeit their rights of membership. The following officers were chosen for the present year, (most of them being reelected) — President, the Tit. Rev. tbe Bishop of Waiapu ; Vice President, Mr C. E. Bold (Dr. Spencer was again warmly nominated and seconded and lupported for that office, but, at his own particular request, he was allowed to decline the same in favor of Mr Bold); Bon. Secretary and Treasurer, Mr Colenso; Auditor, Mr T. K. Newton ; Council, Messrs H. Baker, Carlile, Locke, Spencer, Sturm, and Weber, and Colenso ex officio. It was pleasing to notice the hearty' open and unanimous feeling that pervaded the meeting : a true esprit de corps.