B.—B.

Teaching Staff. —A very important change has been effected in the department of chemistry : Professor Bickerton, who has occupied a seat on the teaching staff of the College since the sth February 1874, having been succeeded in his duties by William Percival Evans, M.A., Ph.D., an old graduate of the College. The subjects now under the charge of Dr. Evans are chemistry and sound, light and heat. The laboratories and class-rooms of the department have been thoroughly renovated and better arranged for the requirements of students. Captain F. W. Hutton, who was professor of biology from January, 1880, to December, 1892, and subsequently lecturer on geology, resigned his lectureship at the end of the session. Mr. W. Izard resigned the lectureship on jurisprudence and law, and was succeeded by Mr. George T. Weston, 8.A., LL.B. Music—On the Ist May John C. Bradshaw, Mus.D., was appointed lecturer m music in succession to the late Mr. G. F. Tendall. Mr. H. Wells had kindly taken charge of the classes since the commencement of the term prior to Dr. Bradshaw's arrival in the colony. The number of candidates who entered for the various examinations of the Associated Board of the Eoyal Academy of Music and the Eoyal College of Music again shows a large increase. There were ninety-one candidates for the various theoretical examinations in June, of whom seventy-three passed. The practical examinations were conducted at the end of October and beginning of November by Mr. T. B. Knott. There were in all 225 candidates—four for the teachers' diploma, eighty-one for the local centre, and 140 for the school examinations. Of these, three, fifty-three and 111 respectively were successful. The following are the totals as compared with the last two years : 1900—Examined, \)A ; passed 65. 1901—Examined, 239 ; passed, 201. 1902—Examined, 316 ;.. passed, 240. Miss Esther Fitzgerald, of Timaru, and Miss Millicent Jennings, of Sumner, candidates in pianoforte, distinguished themselves by winning two of the four medals offered annually by the Associated Board to the candidates throughout the whole of New Zealand who succeeded in gaining the highest and second highest marks in the senior and junior grades of the local centre examinations. Mr. Knott reported on the practical examinations as follows: "The results compare not unfavourably with those obtained in Great Britain, the standard being identical. The candidates generally exhibited character and spirit in their performances, the weakest feature being a want of finish and attention to the details of their work, and a consequent marring of the effect by the resulting inaccuracies." Mr. Knott also wishes to urge all music students to consider that success in any examination whatever, does not mean the conclusion of study, but rather that it be regarded as the minimum which is requisite. . Exempted Students.—No examination for exempted students on the books of this College was held at any other centre than Christchureh. _ University Extension Lectures.—The Board provided a scheme for this purpose in 1900, and are still prepared to supply lectures if application is made on the proposed basis and due notice given. The interest of the public seems, however, to be mainly centred in technical education at present, and no applications for University lectures have been received during the past year. Numbkb of Students. —The following table shows the number of matriculated and nonmatriculated students who have attended lectures since the year 1898 to date : — Matriculated. Non-matriculated. Total. 1898 ... ... - 131 56 187 1899 ... ... ... 117 65 182 1900 ... ... ... 125 93 218 1901 ... ... 148 72 220 1902 ... ... ... 150 74 224 The number of students attending each lecture during the last term of 1902, was as follows : — Classics. —Pass Latin: Translation, 31; composition, 28; teachers' class, 12. Greek Translation, 2 ; composition, 2. Honours Latin, 6. ___.. English Literature and Language. —Pass Lectures: History and structure of the English language, 24 ; Anglo-Saxon and Middle English, 25 ; literature and set books, 36; essay class, 28 ; Honours Lectures: Anglo-Saxon and Middle English, 5; philology, 3; literature and set books, 6. English History.— -Pass history of England, 15 ; honours, European history, 0. Mathematics. —Pass pure mathematics, 52; pass mechanics and hydrostatics, 18. Honours Mathematics : Section 1., 5 ; Section 11., 5 ; Section 111., 7 ; Section IV., 0 ; honours elementary mechanics and hydrostatics, 7. Chemistry.— Pass chemistry, 23; pass chemistry (problems), 6; elementary chemistry, 2; honours chemistry, 2 ; teachers' chemistry (first year), 10 ; teachers' chemistry (second year), 0 ; practical chemistry (junior and pass), 38 ; practical chemistry (honours and research), 0. Sound, Light and Heat.— Lectures : Pass, 29 ; honours, 1 ; Laboratory Practice : Pass, 22 ; honours, 1. Geology. —Junior, 5 ; senior, 4. Biology. —General biology, 10; botany for medical students, 0 ; pass botany, 2 ; honours botany, 1; pass zoology, 8; honours zoology, 0; practical general biology, 10; pass practical botany, 2; practical botany (honours and research), 1; pass practical zoology, 8; practical zoology (honours and research), 0. French.— Pass Lectures : Composition, 13; authors, 27 ; grammar, 27 ; literature, 23 ; composition (teachers' class), 5. Honours Lectures : Composition, 14 ; authors, 0; essay and literature, 0 ; philology, 4 ; literature, 0. German. — Composition I. and philology, 2; translation, 4-; composition 11. and grammar, 1; for beginners, 4. -

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