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valuable collection of Maori objects. These were received shortly after his death, and as soon as the necessary cases for their exhibition had been built—at the expense, I may mention, of the Hocken Library Trustees—the numerous articles were installed. All the time during last University session that I could spare from my class work was spent in registering the specimens, planning the cases, supervising their construction and arrangement in the Maori Ball, and, finally, in arranging the specimens, in order tint they might be ready for Mrs. Hocken's inspection before she left Dunedin for a long absence. It is unnecessary here to detail the arrangement, for the collection has been open to the public since October. It may be as well, however, to mention that all the Maori articles that were in the possession of the Museum and had been exhibited in the iron annexe were, with Mrs. Hocken's consent, incorporated with this collection; but Dr. Hocken's articles will be (many of them are) labelled clearly as being part of the " Hocken Collection." The heavy, carved house-slabs, some 8 ft. to 10 ft. in height and 1 ft. to 2 ft. broad, were removed from their position round the walls of the annexe to the walls of the new hall. To carry out this work it was necessary to hire the assistance of three men for live days, the cost of which was borne by the trustees. The old dug-out canoe has been brought up from the cellar, where it has reposed for many years, and is now on view. Other carvings, from houses, patakas, and canoes, &c, have been arranged round the walls and along the side of the staircase leading from the Maori Hall to the Hocken Gallery. I should mention that the full-sized copy of Dance's portrait of Captain Cook, presented to the University by the late Mr. James Rattray some years ago, and hitherto hung in the old Art Gallery, lias been hung in the Hocken Library, Additional Exhibits. In addition to the installation of the large series of specimens in the Hocken collection of Maori ethnology, a series of thirty-six articles from the Andaman Islands, purchased by me through the kind services of Captain Surgeon W. M. Thomson, M.A., M.8., while on service there, have ben placed on exhibition in the old Public Art Gallery, which I have transformed into an ethnological room. For this purpose two new upright cases were provided by the Council. This small collection includes an example, rarely to be obtained now, of the decorated skull of a dead man, which is worn by his widow suspended from the forehead and hanging on the back or shoulder. A few articles from Ceylon, purchased some years ago, and some other Asiatic objects, have been placed in an old case repaired for the purpose. The two large cases containing weapons from Polynesia and Melanesia have also been transferred to this room. Photograph i and pictures have been placed in the ethnological cases, illustrating the features of the Natives, the mode of dress, and the character of their weapons. cVc. The various articles in these cases have been mounted on cardboard tablets covered with a grey paper, in the manner usual in displaying dried zoological specimens. They show to a much greater advantage than when merely lying on the floor of the case. This is only a commencement of the improvement. Had Mr. Jennings lived he would have proceeded with the work during the summer. I have had to write new labels for many of the articles, as well, of course, as for all the new ones. Although the chief work of the year has been done in the ethnological department, the following new zoological specimens have beeen placed on exhibition : A nearly complete skeleton of a Maori ; leg-bones of Emeus crassus, found on Stewart Island (these formed the subject of a communication by me to the Otago Institute); four birds from the Kermadec Islands— Urodynamis faitensis, Puffinus assimilis (male and female), Sterna fuliginosa (male and female), and Charadrius ilominicvs (male and female); the eggs of ten species of birds from the Kermadecs (Oestrelata neglecta, 0. cervicalis, 0. nigripevnis, Puffinus chlororhynchus, T. Assimilis. Micranous leucocapillus, Procelsterna cinerea, Gygis Candida, Sula cyanops, and Phaeton rubricauda). Some small flies and gnats were also placed in the insect-case, mounted in small, glass-topped boxes; also the nest of the mason-wasp, which the insects had built in a cartridge-case and a match-box respectively. The following foreign specimens have been placed in the cases : A male golden pheasant, to replace one in which the colours had faded; a Pekin robin; a black variety of the Norway rat; and the skull of a hedgehog. The teaching collection in the class-room also received additions. Other Work in the Museum. The mere enumeration of the work done scarcely conveys an idea of the amount of work which has to be carried out before these things are ready to be placed on exhibition. Most of them have to be mounted either on tablets or stands, which have to be specially made for each article; the birds have to be stuffed and set up in appropriate attitudes; while the arrangement of the specimens in the cases, the extensive work of writing labels occupy much time. Fortunately I have hitherto had the assistance of a very capable man, without which much of this work could not be done. As the large case in the main hall containing the various skeletons used in my class work had become so overcrowded that to remove and replace them was rather dangerous, I transferred some of the less-used articles to the next case, hitherto occupied by bones of the moas. These have been placed in the upright cases which already contained leg and other bones of these birds. General. It is gratifying to note that so much interest is now being taken in natural history by the public and by the children especially. Scarcely a week passes but that I receive specimens either for identification or with a request to give information about them. These come from all parts of the Dominion. Many of these are, of course, common, and are already represented in the collection; but, from time to time, new and interesting animals are thus obtained. The column in the Otago Witness conducted by " Magister " has been a great stimulus in this direction ; and from the questions that are put and from the specimens sent up by his correspondents T have been able to learn a great deal of the natural history of the Dominion that otherwise would not have come under my notice.

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