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Publications of the Board of Science and Art. —During the year the publication of the New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology was continued. The revised report by A. B. Jamieson on " The Technical Analysis of Auckland Clays," which had previously been under consideration by the Board, was published in number of the Journal for May, 1919 (Vol. 2, No. 3). The Publication Committee recommended that a series of books in demy octavo, to be. called "Board of Science and Art Manuals," should be instituted, and this was agreed to. The first manual, which is now in the press, is a revised edition of " New Zealand Plants and their Story," by Dr. L. Cockayne, F.R.S. The following papers have been accepted for publication, but printing has been deferred for the present: Dr. 0. A. Cotton —The Geomorphology (Physiography) of New Zealand (in the manual series) ; Hon. G. M. Thomson, M.L.C— History of the Portobello Fish-hatchery (in the bulletin series) ; Hon. (.}. M. Thomson, M.L.C. -Wild Life in New Zealand ; Part I, Mammalia (in the manual series). Staff. The only changes in the personnel of the staff since the last annual report consist in the appointment of Mrs. K. F. Phillips as typist in place of Miss M. Thomson, transferred to Internal Affairs Department; and of Miss M. Mestayer as part-time museum assistant to work on the Mollusca collections. Mr. H. Hamilton, who for the last two years and a half held a commission in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, serving latterly under the Board of Invention and Research, returned to the Dominion at the end of June, and resumed his duties at the Museum on the 7th July, 1919. As in previous years, Mr. Best has devoted his whole time to ethonological research on the Maori, and Miss Castle has been wholly occupied with the care of the insect collections. Mr. Phillipps has been engaged in classifying the. fish collections, and has also twice visited the thermal districts for a report on the fresh-water fisheries, asked for by the Department of Internal Affairs. Reports by these officers are appended. Mrs. W. Turton has been engaged principally on the formation of a series of photographs of officers and men who have won distinction in the Great War. Owing to the absence of the Director for three months on sick-leave, and for a further two months on survey work for the Geological Survey Department, Mr. J. Maodonald has officiated for these periods as Acting-Director. In August, 1918, he received the additional appointment of Assistant Censor of Cinematograph Films, and was later reclassified in the Professional Division as Assistant Director. A report by this officer appears below. Since the last annual report the following papers written by me have been published : " The Inclusions of the Volcanic Rocks of the. Ross Archipelago," in the Scientific Reports of the British Antarctic Expedition, 1907-9 ; " Braohiopoda," in the Scientific Reports of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-14 ; " Maori Rock-quarries on D'Urville Island," in the New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology. Natural History Collections. The chief departments in which most progress has been made are those in which Museum officers are working —viz, insects, fish, mollusca, and geology. The insect collection are noted below in Miss Castle's report, and the fish in Mr. Phillipps's report. Miss Mestayer's appointment as part-time assistant will permit the formation of a reference collection of Recent and Tertiary Mollusca to be proceeded with more vigorously, but some collecting expeditions will be necessary to enable many gaps in the series to be filled. Material has been collected by myself around Wellington, and at Titahi Bay, in Queen Charlotte Sound, and on the east coast; of Marlborough, and in particular large series of limpets and chitons have been secured for revision of the variable or doubtful species. Of chitons some new species have been found in the immediate vicinity of Wellington. Little fossil material has been obtained since the last annual report. The collection of foreign shells was considerably augumented by the purchase of a large private collection. Various small donations of rocks and minerals have been received, but, unfortunately, cannot be made accessible to the public owing to the lack of accommodation. Report of Mr. J. McDonald. General. —The work of the year has been of a very varied nature- more so, probably, than in previous periods. A diminished staff, due to the war, has imposed a greater distribution of service in daily duties, a,nd frequently work not of urgent requirement has had to be put aside for a more convenient season. The Museum has had a larger number of visitors than in former years. Notwithstanding the restricted shipping facilities, intercolonial visitors have been fairly numerous. This in a measure has beon duo to vessels remaining longer in port than is usual. The return of troops from England, France, and Egypt has brought many visitors to the city to welcome soldier relatives and friends, and delays in arrival of transports and. disembarkation have been responsible, too, for the increased attendance. Apart from these factors the constant increase and change of exhibits are a source of interest and attraction to city residents. During the school-days teachers with large classes have paid frequent visits and spent several hours examining exhibits, and during vacationtime many children from outlying districts have paid, the Museum a, visit, The publication of the Journal and publications of the Board of Science and Art have added to the work of tho year. During the influenza epidemic in the latter part of 1918 the Museum was closed for three weeks, and opportunity was then taken to have floors scrubbed and disinfected, and a general overhaul carried out. Museum Collections : War Section. —Considerable alterations have been made in the arrangement of exhibits in the main gallery. The space required for war trophies necessitated the removal of the large Maori war-canoe and the fishing-canoes to the store in Sydney Street, and a general rearrange-