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jars for exhibition, and I am only sorry that the want of means has prevented me from being able to prepare in the same manner the large series we still possess stowed away in the store-room, and when once accessible to the student of biology, will be very valuable to him. A series of foreign sponges were mounted on stands, ready to be placed in the show-cases. Mr. Charles Chilton not only added a considerable number of New Zealand Crustacea —many of them his own types—to the public collection, but has also taken the trouble to arrange the whole series systematically in a case provided for the purpose. Professor F. W. Hutton has done the same with the New Zealand land shells, adding, at the same time, his new types to the fine series already in the possession of the Museum. Mr. R. W. Eereday has also continued during this year to arrange the New Zealand Lepidoptera, towards which he has contributed a further considerable number. Dr. E. yon Lendonfeld, who has lately come to reside amongst us, has undertaken to identify and name the sponges in the Museum. Those from Torres Straits and Mauritius are ready for exhibition, while those of New Zealand are now being taken in hand. To all these gentlemen my warmest thanks are due for their valuable assistance. Shoiv-Cases. —Besides a number of show-cases presented or bought for the Technological Museum, a show-case has been provided for the New Zealand Crustaceans in the New Zealand Hall, as well as some smaller cases above the desk-cases in the gallery of the same Hall, for the New Zealand fishes, reptiles, and spiders. Some few cases formerly used for the Technological collections, being no longer required for that purpose, have been utilized for antiquities and ethnological objects. I may here be allowed to urge upon your earnest consideration, that under the present advanced state of the Museum more funds are urgently required for assistance, for additional show-cases, glass jars and spirits of wine, the store-room being blocked up with casks, cases, and tanks full of valuable specimens from all parts of the world, but, owing to the want of means, now hidden away from their intended use. Palaontology. —Some fine series of fossils from Solenhofen, Bavaria, and from the coal fields of Central Europe were received from Professor Yon Hochstetter, also a number of skeletons of pliocene fossils, mammals, from Italy. A number of casts of unique and rare vertebrates and invertebrates were presented by Dr. A. Krantz in Bonn. The following valuable donations from New Zealand are deserving of being here specially alluded to : Mr. Henry Wharton, Highfields, bones of extinct birds, principally Aptornis defossor, from the limestone caves near his residence ; Mr. William "White, Waikari, a number of fossil whalebones; the Hon. William Eobinson, M.L.C., Cheviot, portions of the skeletons of saurians obtained at Cheviot; Mr. Heinrich Yon Haast, large collection of fossils from the Broken Eiver basin; Mr. W. Kitson, New Zealand fossils. Library. —Only a small amount could be devoted to-the purchase of books, but a number of works and parts of works have been received as donations and been added to the Library, the total consisting of seventeen works, thirty-seven parts of works, and fifty-nine official publications, pamphlets, &c. A considerable number of works of reference is urgently required, and it is to be hoped that next year the amount to be devoted to Museum purposes will be large enough that at least some of the most important of these works can be obtained. Ethnological and Antiquity Museum. —Owing to the International Exhibition being held in Christchureh, the Maoris of Canterbury and Westland brought together a considerable number of objects illustrating their former and present modes of life. Through the kind assistance of the Eev. Te Mutu, a large proportion of these specimens was presented to the Museum. An ancient taiaha, carved out of whalebone, was obtained by purchase, as well as a large and finely-wrought greenstone tiki, to which an interesting history is attached. Another specimen of somewhat historical interest was lately received through Colonel Eeader from the Hon. John Bryce, Native Minister, being an ancient flint fowling-piece, presented last year by the Maori King, in the Waikato, to the Native Minister. Through the instrumentality of Professor Yon Hochstetter, a fine and wellpreserved Horus Ganopus, in alabaster, lately discovered with many other valuable objects near Thebes, in Egypt, was obtained by purchase. Our European prehistoric collections were enriched ■with numerous stone implements from Denmark and North Germany, and with pottery from Germany, whilst the ethnological series were augmented by a number of fine and characteristic specimens from South America and Central Africa. Commander B. Watson, R.N., Messrs. Alexander Singleton, of Japan, E. W. Tippets, James Bowman, Dr. Charles W Thitcombe, Mrs. De Troy, and others have also contributed valuable specimens. Technological Museum. —ln my report of last year I made you acquainted with the fact that I addressed myself to the inhabitants of Canterbury in order to obtain funds for purchasing suitable specimens at our International Exhibition, both for the Technological Museum and the Art Gallery. At the time I wrote the sum of £502 10s. had already been subscribed, which subsequently was raised to £513 17s. 6d. by some further contributions. As a number of the subscribers wished to retain in Christchureh the beautiful picture, " Leda and the Swan," by A. Jourdan, a further attempt was made to raise this amount, Mr. John Ollivier and Professor A. W. Bickerton most kindly exerting themselves to raise further funds. I offered to devote Mr. George Gould's subscription of £100 towards the purchase of this picture, and that gentleman most generously consented to double that subscription, whilst a further sum of about £130 was raised from other subscribers for this special purpose, the amount of about £50, still wanted for the full payment of the picture, being defrayed in the meantime by that generous patron of our public institutions. Of the total amount raised the sum of about £300 was devoted to further purchases for the Technological Museum, consisting of models, china, glass, bronzes, show-cases^ and many other suitable objects too numerous to mention. Owing to the readiness of many of the exhibitors, in compliance to my applications, the Technological Museum received a number of most valuable donations from the International Exhibition. In the first instance, I have to offer my warmest thanks to Messrs. Savage and Dilworth, the English agents of a large number of Home manufacturers, who effectually aided me in my applications to their clients by strongly advocating my wishes. Also the promoters of the exhibition, Messrs. Joubert