NELSON INSTITUTE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 58, 1 March 1876, Page 2

NELSON INSTITUTE.

Tho; annual general meeting of the mem- j bers.of tHe;pTelson in<titute^was held in the j Reading 'B.onVpnj Mon lay. evening, 28th { hißtan\. H. 'AiainVjrEsV. President, In tluNi chiir. The annual report ami balance Bheets uf the Libfiry and Museum ace >unts having b en re d, were, ou the motion of Dr Irvi c, secon led b-.- Mr W. C. Ho iirsoo, unanimously aiot ted. The following officers were elected hir the ensuing ytar :— President, Mr H, Ad*»iu,B. ; "Vice-President, Mr ' R ; .- Pollock •, Treasurer, Mr Ouvald Curtis;' Secretary, J. Percy. Commit cc: Messrs A. Greenfield, J. T. Catley, W. C. Hodi/sm, D. Burns, Dr Squire*. Dr Boor,' Dr Irvine, and R Burn. Messrs J. Gully, G., Hodgson, and W. Tucker wero unanimously eleoted auditors. , .■'„*' Report. It is with much pc • sure that the Committee of the Nelson Institute -submit their annual r<port, and congratulate the memoers of the Institute upon the marked stiore«s whi'sh has attended their efforts during the past year to enlarge its usefulness. * Tlie saving effected by the judicious reduction of/ the expense of management has enabled the Committee not only to pay off a considerable debittbalance and leave a fair balance to the credit of the litrary fund, but to largely increase the. numbir of books which, they have j bee*i enabled to add to the library. The natu-al consequence has been as was expected .—a la/ge increase in- the number. of subscribers, there having been last year 180 "a bscribars, as against 126 in 1874. Library, During the pas? year 120 volumes have" been addol to the library, 81 of which were purchased by the Committeo Three of these books were on scientific subjects, 4 were historical, 14 books of travel- 2 biographii-a l , 50 volumes of fiction, and 8 miscellaneous. The Honorary Secretary to the Scientific Association has also h-mded over to the library 39 volumes, principally on scientific -.übjects, in addition to. 332 weekly and, mouthlr parts of the "Journal of Science,'' the "J-urnal of the Society of Arts." "N«ture," aud the " Contemporary Review.", The great increase in tho number of • subscribers during the past year will* ddiibtb ss enable * our Comm'ttee to adl largely to the stock of books during the current ve-r; The total is<ue of periodicals during 1875 has been 4158; of bound books 6048, being an ir.cr-.ase of 2748, as compared with the circulation in 1874. Museum. The following specimens havo bern contributed to the Museum during the pist year': — •' ' .'..': 1. A fossillated scallop shell, obtained from a limestone bank near the mouth of the Motupipi, by Mr G. Charles; 2. A large moth from Queensland, and specimens of Proteacea, by Mr Eaikea ; , * .'*>'; 3. A photograph of an Ichthyos iurus Communis,, presented by HuflUni, : Bark Bay ; . ' ' ? 4. A seagull, by Mr J. Brough;* . 5. An Egyptian lizard, from the Suez canii, by Captain Wheeler; . 6. Specimens ot feeds from Queen rfaad, . .by the Preide'nt ' (fl. Adams^ EVq); 7, A moth, by Mr A. D. Marten-" '-. 8, A. globe fid) (tetrodon pirihautii),'by Mr R. Burn; ' < • 9, A specimen of wormstono, by Miss 'Percy; '•*..* ,- „ • 10. Pods of Cassia fistula, twocoieoons of Tusseh silkworm, Anthersea paphia, and specimens, of silk, by Dr Boor; 11. A, puce of the wool, folia?e, , nnd,. cone's, together With measurement of Weiiingtonia gigantea of California, stones and marble from the river .lordan, a piece of the root of the Khaya, a pestle, and two head dresses from the South Sea I Lmds, by" Captiin Kouph, 12. Snakes (Australia); ' 13 Specimens of deep sea cable just laid, by Mr Lucas, engineer of the Telegraph Extension Company; 14 Specimens of Ostend cable, by Dr Boor. The Committee have also purchased for the Museum : — Fox's Book of Martyrs (very old edition) 61 specimens of flew Zealand ferns, to which they propose making addi tions. They have ais*) had six skins of British birds, which have been in the Museum for a considerable time, carefully prepared and set up, aud have made arnnaemeuts to form ns complete a collection ot the birds of New Zaaland as can be obtained. In concluding this report, the Committee hope that the increased meain at their disposal for the purchase of books for 'he Lilirary, and tha improvements they have been able to effect, will resile in a largely increasing number of subiorioers, and thereby greatly cx r end the benefits which the principal Institute in the pro'iace should be able to confer. Jno. Pjerct, • * * Hon, Sec. , Nelson Institute, .'■:.'■ February 28, 187-6;