E.—7.

The other candidate had a good place on the honours list—the eighth. At the examination held last April by the Board of Education one pupil gained a scholarship in Class D. The school was examined at the end of last year, and the reports of the examiners (Professor Cook, Professor Hutton, the Eev. C. Turrell, Mr. James Hay, and Mr. H. 0. Forbes) were very favourable. Boys' High School. The number of pupils has increased from 136 to 151. There being urgent need of another class-room, and also of better equipment for science teaching, the Board has accepted tenders for the erection of two rooms—viz., a chemical laboratory (suitably furnished), 33ft. by 19-Jffi., and a class-room, 28ft. by 19-Jft. These rooms are now in course of erection. They will be built at the back of the present school over the court. By this means the court will be converted into a wellsheltered basement, where boys can eat their lunch, and where drill may be held in wet weather, &c. The basement will thus be another valuable addition to the school. In September last Mr. W. Walton, 8.A., late scholar of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, was appointed assistant master in the place of Mr. F. C. Faulkner, who had been elected to the headmastership of Perth High School, Western Australia. The Board has recently arranged with Mr. Michell Clarke, the newly appointed lecturer on modern languages at Canterbury College, to take the highest class in French at the school. The cadet corps, the swimming class, and the classes in carpentering have been well maintained during the past year. At the entrance examination of the University last December eight boys entered for matriculation and six passed, one boy qualifying for the preliminary solicitors' examination. Three boys competed for junior University scholarships. One of these obtained a place entitling him to the third scholarship, but was debarred from holding it, as he was under the required minimum of age. Another obtained the fifth scholarship ; and the third obtained a place next in order of merit to the ten scholars. One boy has passed the Junior and, another the Senior Civil Service examination. At the examination held last April by the Board of Education three boys from this school succeeded in winning the three scholarships awarded in Class C, and another boy gained one of the two scholarships awarded in Class D. Mr. T. E. Cresswell, an old pupil, has qualified for the M.A. degree, with second-class honours in Latin and English. The Bowen Prize of the University, for an essay on " Federation—lmperial, Australasian, Australian," was awarded to Mr. A. R. Kirk, another old pupil. The school was examined in December last, and the reports of the examiners (Professor Cook, M. T. W. Eowe, M.A., Mr. L. Cohen, M.A., Eev. C. Turrell, Mr. H. 0. Forbes, and Mr G. Gray) were highly satisfactory. Museum. A report from the Curator of the Museum for the year ending the 30th June last, showing how the various collections have been redistributed and rearranged, is laid on the table. The Hon. W. B. Mantell, of Wellington, has made a very handsome gift to the Museum library of more than one hundred volumes. During the period under review the sumof £128 has been expended in the purchase of books. The proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, and several volumes of the reports of the " Challenger" expedition have bean added to the library. A catalogue of the library has been compiled. Mr. E. W. Seager has presented a valuable printing-press and a quantity of type. These are being placed in good order, and it is hoped that much benefit will be derived by the department from the facilities afforded of printing labels, &c. Shortly after the last annual meeting had been held the German residents in Christchurch made a most acceptable presentation to the Museum of the bust, in marble, of the late eminent Director, Sir Julius yon Haast, K.C.M.G., F.E.S., &c, the work of Professor Kupper, of Bonn. The presentation took place in the college hall on the 26th July last, when it was officially handed over to the Governors of Canterbury College. The Hon. W. Eolleston, formerly Superintendent of the province, and with whom Sir Julius yon Haast had been associated for many years, delivered an address, and performed the ceremony of unveiling. The bust is considered an excellent likeness and a valuable work of art. It will be in the recollection of the older members of the Board that some years ago a grant of money was voted to the projected school of mines for the purchase of sundry models, diagrams, &c, for the use of those desirous of studying subjects in connection with the proposed school. The models— architectural, engineering, mining, and others—have now been handed over to the custody of the lecturer in charge of the School of Engineering. School op Art. The work in the various branches has been carried on steadily and successfully, and, except in one class, with an increase in numbers. Morning and Evening Classes. —The numbers attending the morning class for the three terms of the past year have been respectively 26, 31, and 30, and in the evening class 68, 54, and 75. The students in these classes have produced good work in the different branches, the most noticeable, perhaps, being the drawing from life and antique. As an evidence of the result of the work done by the school it may be mentioned that at the last exhibition of the Canterbury Society of Arts forty-four works were sent in by those directly connected with the school. Normal Students. —Considering that the same undesirable arrangements have been continued this year as to the time of attendance of Normal students—namely, from four to six on Friday afternoons, fairly satisfactory results have been attained. The few that have attended received a thorough instruction in freehand and model drawing. Boys' High School. —As compared with 115-boys last year 144 have received instruction in the High School, during four hours per week, in freehand, model, and plane and solid geometry. An extra class has attended three hours per week at the School of Art for further instruction.

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