during the year, including a balance of £101 0s. 4d. from the preceding year, were £259 8s. 4d., and at the present time there is a balance in the bank to the credit of the Society of £90 11s. 6d.
The thanks of the Society are due to the following Institutions for publications received as donations:—Smithsonian Institute, Harvard College, Royal Society of Tasmania, United States Geological Survey.
On the motion of the Hon. Mr. Mantell, seconded by Mr. G. Rous Marten, the following resolution was agreed to:—
"That the President be elected to office for one year instead of for two as hitherto."
Election of Officers for 1877.—President—W. T. L. Travers, F.L.S.; Vice-presidents—T. Kirk, F.L.S., J. Carruthers, M. Inst. G.E.; Council—Dr. Buller, C.M.G., F.L.S., C.C. Graham, James Hector, M.D., C.M.G., F.R.S., Hon. W. B. D. Mantell, F.G.S., J. C. Crawford, F.G.S., A. K. Newman, M.B., M.R.C.P., C. Rous Marten, F.R.G.S., F.M.S.; Auditor—Arthur Baker; Secretary and Treasurer—R. B. Gore.
The meeting then resolved itself into an ordinary one.
New Members.—J. Hurst, W. Johnston, of the Hutt, G. W. Williams, Mr. Justice Richmond.
1. "On New Zealand Coffee," by J. C. Crawford. (Transactions, p. 545.)
The Hon. Mr. Mantell said he had a plant of the same name, with a much smaller berry, from the Bay of Plenty. He would like to know if the Chairman knew of more than one plant of the kind?
Mr. Kirk said he only knew of one plant of that name.
2. "Notes on the System of Survey proposed by Mr. Thomson to be adopted for New Zealand, from a Legal Point of View," by W. T. L. Travers, F.L.S., a Barrister of the Supreme Court. (Transactions, p. 280.)
Dr. Hector, in connection with this subject, spoke, from his experience in the survey of British North America, of the degree of accuracy of latitudes obtained by the Americans with refined instruments.
3. "On Anemometry," by C. Rous Marten, F.R.G.S., F.M.S., M.Sc.M.S. (Transactions, p. 293.)
Dr. Hector considered the paper very interesting, but could not altogether agree with, the author. Dr. Robinson's instruments only registered truly horizontal movements of the air, and could not faithfully record sudden gusts, which are rarely horizontal. Lynd's instrument was the best for sudden squalls of wind.
Dr. Newman considered that the pressure of wind was generally exaggerated, but not the velocity, which was perhaps underrated. Nothing, he thought, could possibly withstand the pressures sometimes indicated.
The author thought that, when Dr. Hector had read his paper carefully, he would agree more fully with his views.
The hour being late, the following papers were taken as read:—
4. "Descriptions of new Plants," by T. Kirk, F.L.S. (Transactions, p. 547.)
