Ur. Bailer, 0.M.G,, F.R.S., gave the follow ing address at the annual meeting of the Philo sophical Society on Wednesday night last week, the subject being the decrease of the Maori people. Ur Bullet commenced by thanking the society for having, after a lapse of seven years, re-elected him to the honorable position of president. It was the custom of the retir ing president to deliver an address at the an nual meeting, but he had been asked by the council,‘in the absence of Mr Randall John son, to offer some remarks on the progress and future prospects of the society. He con gratulated the meeting on the increased lib rary accommodation now afforded, and the larger facilities offered to members for access to tha museum. Every other large centre of population in the colony had a university with its staff of professors, and all the neces sary appliances for scientific research. In Wellington nothing of the kind at present existed, and active workers in the search science were. cast very much upon tMr own resources. He had,* therefore, greit, pleasure in announcing that under the uew arrangements of the directors private tables vould be placed in tha lecture hall for student., who would have free access to the library o. reference, and unrestricted use of tho vala&Je collections in the Colonial Museum. Dr. Bnller then referred to the praclical wort done by this society and other affiliated bodies, ag shown by tho “ Transac tions of the N<w Zealand Institute.” - This

publication had now reached its fifteenth volume. That for the pact year was already well in progress, and, as be was assured by Dr, Hector, would fully equal, both in bulk and quality, any of its predecessors. Speaking for himself, as a governor of the Institute, he felt proud of this fine series of local volumes, which had received more universal praise at tho hands of English and foreign reviewers than any other colonial publication. It eesmed to him from a careful perusal that the articles, year by year, maintained their high character, keeping pace with the onward march of science and the progress of discovery. To the future historian of the colony this publication would be invaluable, and much credit was due to Dr, Hector for his untiring labors as editor during the whole period of its existence. He (Dr. 