4

E.—7

proceedings and the full evidence taken by the committee. A special meeting of the Board was held on the 2nd May to consider the report. In this report, which was adopted by the Board, the Committee recommended: " That, in the interests of the Museum, Mr. Forbes's engagement should be ended; and that Mr. Forbes should receive twelve months' notice of the termination of his agreement with the Board, or £400 in lieu thereof, being one year's salary, should he desire to resign the position at once." Mr. Forbes elected to adopt the latter course, and at his own request was relieved from the duties of his office on the 21st May last. Professor Hutton took temporary charge of the institution. Some difficulty has arisen with respect to the collection of moa bones discovered at Enfield, near Oamaru, and reported on by Mr. Forbes in his letters of the 4th and the 15th September. The Board has not yet arrived at any decision with respect to the claim instituted by Dr. De Latour in 'connection with these bones.

School of Art. The number of students who have received instruction during the past year compared with the previous year is as follows: —

Year 1890-91— Normal School students (individual) ... ... 64 Boys' High School pupils (individual) ... ... ... ... 144 Year 1891-92— Normal School students (individual) ... ... ... ... 42 Boys' High School pupils (individual) ... ... ... ... 160 Morning Glass. —The draped-life classes have been held as usual twice a week, the students working in colour and black-and-white. The class for sketching from nature has been fairly well attended during the year, the students going out once a week ; the advanced ones working in colour, and the others doing simple tone studies in monochrome. Other students have been doing still-life work, and drawing from the antique, while the less advanced students have received a thorough grounding in freehand and model and elementary light and shade. A life class for drawing from the nude figure was established during the year for the advanced lady students attending the morning class. It is at present held once a week, and has been found of much benefit as an adjunct to the draped class. Additional casts have been obtained from England, one of them being a full figure of the "Athlete with the Strigel." Evening Class. —The numbers attending this class show a fair increase during the year. A large proportion of those attending are engaged in some business or trade. Mr. Thomas Gane, architect, has been appointed as specially qualified to take charge of the branch of work in decorative design and architectural drawing. As an evidence of the result of the work in the school it may be mentioned that out of a total of 319 works in the last exhibition held by the Canterbury Society of Arts more than .a hundred were by persons who had received either the whole or a portion of their training in the school. Mr. H. M. Lund, with the view to develop and encourage artistic design in external woodwork, has offered two prizes to be competed for by students of the school. The subject for competition this year has been fixed as that of a carriage-entrance from a public road, gates, &c. Mr. A. J. White and Messrs. Whitcombe and Tombs have also offered private prizes. The work of the class has comprised freehand, model, geometry, perspective, light and shade, architectural drawing, decorative design and drawing, painting and modelling from the figure. Draped-life classes have been held twice a week. An extra class for drawing from the nude figure for the male students has been arranged for ; there are now two day classes and two evening classes per week in this subject. A class for modelling in clay has been held once a week. Normal Students. —The work connected with the Normal students is the least satisfactory of any carried on in the school, owing to the hours at which they attend, namely, from 4 to 6 on Friday afternoons. Forty-two have availed themselves of the opportunity of attending, and have been taught freehand and model drawing. Those studying geometry and perspective attend on Saturday morning. Boys' High School. —This year 160 boys have received instruction, as against 144 last year. Four hours per week is the time devoted to the subjects of freehand, model, and plane and solid

Second Term. Third Term. First Term. Total. Year 1890-91— Morning class Evening class Saturday teachers' class 26 68 79 31 54 78 30 75 66 87 197 223 Total 507 • Year Morning class Evening class Saturday teachers' class 28 74 78 30 74 86 30 70 81 88 218 245 Total 551