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laneous papers. Another ethnographical, expedition was undertaken during the year, and with highly gratifying results. ' The Maori as He Was ' has been written in order to provide a work very much wanted—viz., a small book on Native life and customs of former times that can be sold to tourists and others at a reasonable price. This work has long been completed, but so far no attempt has been made 'to print it—the usual fate of ethnographical matter prepared in this Department. Other branches Ol' science'are better served, but the science of man has apparently few followers or admirers. The ,series of Museum bulletins still in manuscript form support this statement. " The preparation of a scries of monographs to form a comprehensive work on Maori mythology and religion has been continued, and this work will, if ever printed, give readers a clear insight into 'Maori c'osmogony'and anthropogeny. It will, moreover, provide an explanatory view of archaic myths and mythopoetic personifications such as is urgently required in order to understand the concepts and mentality of a very interesting race. These are matters in which European and American arifhropologisits are deeply interested. Ie ~ .''The following papers have been prepared during the past year: 'The Lizard in Myth and Decorative Art' ; ' The Homeland of the Polynesian Race ' ; ' Asiatic-Polynesian Parallels ' ; ' Polynesian Voyagers and the Settlement of New Zealand ' ; ' Spiritual Concepts of the Maori ' ; ' The Whare wananga —its Objects,, Methods, and Ceremonial' ; 'Comparative Anthropology —its Scope and Advantages.' A number of shorter papers were also prepared. " In response to requests sixteen lectures on anthropology and Maori ethnography were delivered (lining the past year, and two papers read before the historical section of the local Philosophical .Institute. On the other hand, a paper sent on request to the science; congress at Palmerston North appears to have beei) rejected by the authorities without any explanation to the writer. "The accumulation of a considerable quantity of manuscript matter, the result of many years' wprk, in such a decrepit wooden building as the Dominion Museum seems to be an unwise procedure Io employ a' mild expression. Some safe place of deposit should be found for such records." ' ' ■ Libraries. .New Zeajand Institute.-. —The appointment of Miss Wood as assistant secretary and assistant librarian, has relieved the Museum staff of the work of recording publications received. ~. . ..Museutn.-T-fimoo Mj. Oliver's - appointment the, recording and indexing of incoming publications ,arid reference works has been,in his, hands. He has also superintended the distribution of publications received through the International Exchange Service. He reports as follows : — ~,. . :" Additions to the library during the past year include a number of important works of reference in zoology and geology. Among them may be mentioned Goldfuss's ' Petrefacta Germanise,' Buekman's '"Type Ammonites,' Lydekker's 'Wild Life of the World,' and Macßride's and Kerr's ' Empryology..' The art department has also received many additions. But by far the most addition was, the library of the late Mr. Purvis Russell, forwarded through the High Commissioner. A fairly, comprehensive series of books relating to the early history of New Zealand was thus acquired, including the works of Dieffenbach, Polack, Thomson, Taylor, Ellis, Nicholas, Nicholson, and Wakefield, Notwithstanding these additions the library is still deficient in works on systematic botany and zoology. ".A satisfactory feature to note in connection with the Museum library is the large number of periodicals now received, mainly by exchange for the New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology. A,rough,count of,these, excluding about 30 annual reports of various institutions, gives about 140, }yhich,may be classed :as follows: Zoology and botany, 47; geology and mining, 30; chemistry, physics, and. technology, 22 ; meteorology, 12 ; ethnology, 10 ; agriculture,7 ; art, 2 ; general, 1.0. " Thirty-seven cases of literature were received through the International Exchange Service, Washington,,U.S.A. , Of. these, six cases were delivered to the General Assembly Library, three cases .to the Auckland, Public Library, while the remainder comprised 2,800 parcels which were distributed to. various recipients throughout the Dominion." Natural-history Collection. Terrestrial Vertebrata. '■ .'Mr. H. Hamilton reports on the land-mammals, birds, and lizards as follows: — ■ " Since the production of the last annual report few changes have been made in the collections •under my charge. As emphasized in previous reports, there is still the urgent necessity for securing fresh specimens of many of the commoner New Zealand birds. For comparative purposes a reference .collection Of bird-skins should contain a good series of each individual. When building up a collection for exhibition at some future date there should be ample stocks to draw upon. If our native birds are doomed to extinction or possible extinction notwithstanding our preventive measures, it is reasonable to wish that some of the remaining few should be secured for museum purposes. "Reports have been made on matters connected with bird-sanctuaries and dealings under the Animals Protection Act. The need of further books of reference has been felt when considering acclimatization questions relative to birds. " During the year the Wellington Zoological" Society presented several specimens, including a r peacock and a king penguin. Few additions have been made by purchase. Three short articles on zoological subjects have been contributed by me to the Journal of Science and Technology." Marine Vertebrata. , [,< Mr. W- J- Phillipps reports as follows :•?— ..;. , "•General.— During the past year the fish collections in the Museum have been considerably augmented by the addition of representative collections of edible fishes from the coasts of the Auckland Province; and from the west coast of the South Island.