1T.—21.

Foreign Ethnological Collections. An extensive and valuable collection of ethnological articles from Melanesia and Polynesia was presented by Mrs. (J. Kronfeld. It consisted mainly of weapons from New Britain, New Guinea, Fiji, New Hebrides, Samoa, and other Pacific islands, collected by the late Mr. Gustav Kronfeld. A small series of weapons from North China, collected at the time of the Boxer Rebellion, was donated by Dr. C. K. Adams. Other presentations include Australian flaked implements from Dr. R. M. Wishart, Melbourne, and Mr. M. 8. Stanley, Sydney ; a Fijian bamboo pillow from Mr. R. F. Eagar ; and a Japanese sword from Mr. W. 11. Atack. Bird Collection. Rearrangement of the bird collection in the public galleries was begun during the year, the New Zealand birds being segregated and provided with distinctive labels, and the whole of the New Zealand reference collection has been classified. Donations during the year include a number of storm-killed New Zealand birds and many foreign cage birds from various donors. Also, there were received moa bones from Seatoun, collected by Mr. N. W. Thomas, and from Doubtless Bay, collected by Mr. E. T. Frost. Fishes. Important additions to the collections have been : Three scales of a Coelaoanth fish from East London, South Africa ; a yellow eel, Anguilla dieffenbacJdi, from Ohariu ; and a number of interesting rare species presented by the following, to whom our best thanks are due : Mr. A. 11. Perano, Mr. A. S. Wilkinson, Mr. A. C. Kaberry, Mr. Pawley, and Mr. G. Stokell. During the year Mr. Phillipps published the following book : " The Fishes of New Zealand," Vol. I, Entomological Department. Many students and visitors have been shown the reference collections and the new storage cabinet,; and a large number of inquiries from the general public and Government .Departments have been answered during the year under review. During January and February of this year Mr. Salmon paid visits to the Ilaast, 1 lollylord, and Eglinton Valleys and to the Chasslands and west coast districts of the South Island, obtaining extensive collections of Apterygota, Lepidoptora, and other insects. Accessions during the year were as follows —By gift: A collection of insects from Ceylon from Mr. P. N. Tasker ; two termite nests, one of Galolermes brouni and one of Coptotermes lacteus, from Mr. Wilson ; a collection of twenty-six New Zealand beetles named by the British Museum from Mr. G. V. Hudson ; two Tarantula spiders from Brazil from Mr. G. S. Watts, Hawera ; a collection of fifty-six African beetles from Mr. H. W. Siminonds ; and a specimen of the recently introduced grape-vine pest, Phalaenoides glycine, from Mr. D. Spiller. By exchange: A collection of L 69 English Noctuidss from Mr. R. J. Collins, England; and a collection of Australian mosquitoes from Mr. A. L. Tonnoir. During the year many specimens have been reared from plants, larvee, pupa, &c, sent to the Museum for identification. The following paper was published by Mr. Salmon : " A Remarkable Fly from an Ants' Nest in New Zealand " (Dip. Chloropidae), in the " Proceedings of the Royal Entomological Society," Vol. 8, June, 1939. Botanical Department. During the year the Charles Knight collection of lichens was transferred from Victoria College to the Museum. From the Bay of Islands, Mr. V. Lindauer sent in two small sots of marine algee, well mounted, and prepared for the herbarium. A handsome cabinet and a box made from New Zealand woods were presented by Miss Grace Drake During visits by Miss Pickmere to flic Dim Mountain and Mount Arthur districts in May, L 939, and by Miss Pickmere and Miss Self to M if Egmont in March, L 940, a, series of both herbarium specimens and living plants was collected. Geological Department. The two principal accessions for the year are a collection of volcanic specimens from Mount Pelee and some samples of mica and rock from the Charleston district of the west coast of the South Island. Photographic Department. Negatives numbering IMS) have; been printed and classified, and a further 227 new negatives have been added to the permanent collection. The lantern-slide collection has been increased to 1,754 slides. Many of those added during the year are natural-colour slides of native flowers made by the Dufay colour process. Press, Radio, and Trams, The thanks of the Museum Management Committee are tendered to the press, the National Broadcasting Service, the National Commercial Broadcasting Service, and the City Tramways Department for assistance in directing attention to the Museum and its activities. W. R. B. Oliver, Director.

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