Visitor:

His Excellency the Most Noble the Marquis of Normanby, G.C.M.G., Governor of New Zealand.

Governors:

• The Hon. W. Gisborne, M.H.R., (Chairman).
• The Worshipful the Mayor of Wellington, J. Dransfield, Esq.
• G. Hunter, Esq., M.H.R.
• G. E. Barton, Esq., M.H.R.
• Rev. J. Paterson.
• H. Jackson, Esq.
• Hon. P. A. Buckley, M.L.C.
• A. de B. Brandon, Esq., M.H.R.
• William Hutchison, Esq.
• J. Hector, Esq., MD., CMG., FRS.

Secretary:

• C. P. Powles, Esq.

Principal:

• Kenneth Wilson, M.A., St. John's College, Cambridge.

Second Master:

• H. E. Tuckey, B.A., St. John's College, Cambridge.

Assistant Master.

• C. R. Buckland, A.A.

Mathematical Master:

• C. J. Hardy, B.A., Christ's College, Cambridge.

Professor of Natural. Science:

• T. Kirk, F.L.S.

Modern Language Master:

• A. F. Merlet.

Drill Sergeant:

• I. N. Bell, late 60th Rifles.

School Roll.

Order of Merit for the Year.

In Classics, Modem Languages, and English.

Form VI.

• Kirk, prize.

Form V. (Upper).

• Field, prize
• Taylor
• Knight.

Form V. (Lower).

• Crombie, prize
• Morrah, i.
• Martin
• Jackson, i.
• Luxford
• Moorhouse
• Morrah, ii.
• Reeves.

Form IV.

• Barnett, prize
• Nott^*
• Gair^*
• Hutchison
• Butts
• Gore, ii.
• Crawford
• Snow
• Kebbell
• Gore i.
• Henderson.

Form III.

• Callaghan, prize
• Ridler^*
• Port^*
• Wilson
• Bishop
• Gisborne
• Buller
• Carwardine
• Swainson
• Seed
• Wallace
• Young
• Lloyd
• McKirdy
• Muir
• Warren
• Moeller
• Hadfield^†

^* Honorable mention.

^† Absent during greater part of term

page 7

Form II.

• Kitchen, prize
• Harding^*
• Pauling^*
• Jackson, ii.
• Galwey
• Cooper
• Taylor, ii.
• Sanderson, i.
• Leckie
• Mitchell
• Morrah
• White
• Reeves
• Lockie
• Stack
• Wallis
• Bidwill
• Sanderson, ii.
• Parkes
• Dransfield
• Lysaght

Form I.

• Crawford, prize
• Young, ii.^*
• Port
• McKirdy, ii.
• Young, iii.
• Tustin
• Callis
• Knight
• Thorpe^†

^* Honorable mention.

^† Absent during greater part of term.

Mathematical List.

Class I.

• Kirk, prize.

Class II.

• Knight, prize
• Field
• Taylor

Class III.

• Moorhouse.

Class IV.

• Crombie, prize
• Note^*
• Harnett^*
• Jackson, i.
• Crawford
• Gair
• Morrah. i.
• Martin
• Snow
• Henderson
• Morrah, ii.
• Hadfield^†
• Luxford

page 8

Class V.

• Callaghan, prize
• Ridler^*
• Port^*
• Wilson^*
• Pauling
• Butts
• Swainson
• Hutchison
• Carwardine
• Kebbell
• Cooper
• Parkes
• Buller
• Gore, i.
• Mitchell
• Gore, ii.
• Young, i,
• Seed
• Muir
• Moeller
• Warren

Class VI.

• Kitchen, prize
• Lockie^*
• Harding^*
• Jackson, ii.
• Reeves, ii.
• Wallace
• Sanderson, i.
• Bidwill
• McKirdy, i.
• Sanderson, ii,
• Taylor
• Leckie
• White
• Gisborne
• Lloyd
• Bishop
• Dransfield
• Wallis

Class VII.

• Galwey, prize
• Morrah, iii.
• Stack
• Lysaght
• McKirdy, ii.
• Young, ii.
• Crawford
• Young, iii.
• Tustin
• Port
• Callis
• Knight
• Thorpe ^†

Special Prizes.

Natural Science.

1.	Kirk
2.	Taylor
3.	Moorhouse

Modern Languages.

1.	Kirk
2.	Not awarded
3.	Crombie

^* Honorable mention.

^† Absent during greater part of term.

page 9

Subjects for Examination.

Form VI.

• Latin.—Terentii Andria, Heautontimorumenos and Phormio. M. T. Ciceronis, Pro Milone, and Philippics I. II. Wilkin's latin Prose Composition.
• French.—Dramatic Literature from Chapelain to Racine.
• English.—Shakespeare's Henry IV., Part I. Henry VI., Part II. Bacon's Advancement of Learning.
• English Literature from 1688—1714.
• Mathematics.—Arithmetic, Algebra, Trigonometry, Euclid, Books i., ii., iii., iv., and vi. Mechanics and Hydro-statics.
• Natural Science.—

Form V. (Upper.)

• Latin.—M. T. Ciceronis, Pro Archiâ Poetâ and Pro Balbo. P. Ovidii Nasonis, Fasti VI.
• Wilkin's Latin Prose Composition.
• Greek.—Æschyli Prometheus Vinctus.
• Arnold's Greek Prose Composition.
• French.—Corneille La Suite de Menteur.
• Xavier de Maistre, La Jeune Sibérienne
• Le Lépreux de la cité d'Aoste.
• Merlet's French Grammar.
• German.—A book of German Dactylic Poetry (Wagner) Ave's Grammar.
• English.—Shakespeare's Julius Cæsar.
• History—William III. to George III.
• Geography—General.
• Grammar.
• Mathematics.—Arithmetic. Algebra to Binomial Theorem. Trigonometry, Todhunter's Small edition.
• Euclid, Books i., ii., iii., iv., and vi.
• Natural Science.—

Form V. (Lower).

• Latin.—P. Ovidii Nasonis, Fasti VI.
• C. Jul. Cæsaris, De Bello Gallico VII.
• Arnold's Latin Prose Composition.
• Greek.—Xenophontis Anabasis I.
• Wordworth's Greek Grammar, Accidence.page 10
• English.—Same as in Upper Fifth.
• Mathematics.—Arithmetic, Algebra to Quad. Equations, Euclid
• Books i., ii., and iii.
• Natural Science.—

Form IV.

• Latin.—Cæsar. De Bell. Gall. VII.
• Arnold's Latin Prose Composition.
• Public School Primer.
• French.—Xavier de Maistre La Jeune Sibérienne
• Merlet's French Grammar, Accidence.
• English.—Shakespeare's Julius Cæsar.
• History—General Outlines.
• Geography—Europe, British Isles, and Colonies. Grammar—Morell's.
• Mathematics.—Arithmetic, Algebra to Quadratic Equations, Euclid, Books i., ii., and iii.

Form III.

• Latin.—Cæsar De Bell. Gall. I., i.—xxv.
• Arnold's Henry's First Latin.
• Public School Primer.
• French.—Merlet's Grammar, Accidence.
• English.—History, Geography, and Grammar, as in Form IV.
• Mathematics.—Arithmetic to Decimals.
• Algebra to Simple Equations, Euclid I., 1—15.

Form II.

• Latin.—Valpy's Delectus, pp. 9—32. Latin Primer, pp. 1—84.
• French.—Merlet's Grammar, pp. 1—63.
• Mathematics.—Arithmetic to Decimals, Euclid I., 1—15.
• English.—Collier's British History, pp. 1—145.
• Geography—New Zealand, Australia, Europe, British Isles.
• Grammar—Abbott's "How to Parse."

Form I.

• Latin.—Valpy's Delectus, pp. 1—5. Primer, pp. 1—45.
• English.—As in Form II.
• Arithmetic—To Vulgar Fractions.
• French.—Xavier de Maistre, La Jeune Sibérienne
• Le Lépreux de la cité d'Aoste.
• Merlet's Grammar, Accidence.
• German.—Ahn's First German course.

Principal's Annual Report.

To the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Wellington College.

Sir,—I have the honour to lay before you the Annual Report on the working of the College during the year.

The numbers on the books during the year have been—For the first term, 75; second, 72; third, 73; making an average of 73; and in addition to that there have been extra courses of lectures given in classics, mathematics, and modern languages by Mr. Hardy and Mr. Merlet, and there are now 15 students attending them, of whom five or six are working for the N.Z. B.A. degree. As I have good reason to believe that the number attending these classes is likely to increase, and as the work is already almost more than our present staff can manage, I have made arrangements with Mr. J. Gammell, B.A., London, to take the extra mathematics, and I feel sure that if some slight trouble were taken by the Governors to make these lectures known, they would be made use of by a considerable and increasing number of students. The number of boys in the higher classes is a good deal less than it was last year, and it is therefore only natural to expect that the examiners may have found some falling off in the work.

The standard, however, except in mathematics, has not been lowered, and I think, considering our numbers, we have no reason to be ashamed of the result.

A somewhat important alteration has been made this year in the conduct of the examinations. On previous occasions great inconvenience has been felt from having the College examination, the Cambridge, and the New Zealand University examination close together, thereby causing an excessively severe strain on the students. In order to remedy that to some extent, the examiners in English, Classics, and Modern Languages very kindly consented to accept for the upper and lower fifth forms the Cambridge papers. Press copies of the answers were taken in the room, and they have been looked over by your examiners, while the originals have been sent to Cambridge.

The reports of the examiners will enable you to judge how far the results are satisfactory. On account of delay in the page 12 arrival of the papers the examination has been held at a very awkward time, and has also been somewhat hurried. This is a disadvantage that must always attach to an examination in which the papers have to come from England, and renders the establishment of a satisfactory local system all the more necessary. I may state that additional attention has been devoted this year in the higher forms to English Literature, and in the lower forms to Arithmetic and Mathematics. I judge from the remarks made by the Mathematical Examiner that in the latter case at all events the results have been satisfactory. There is no doubt that to most young boys geometry is a subject of very great difficulty, and that any results in that branch can only be obtained by the exercise of very great efforts and ability on the part of the teacher. I know that the Mathematical Master has devoted himself to his work throughout the year with a zeal and energy of which few who have not tried the work have any conception. It is gratifying to find that the labour has not been in vain.

In the three previous years in which the Cambridge examination has been held in Wellington, the College has sent up 27 candidates, of whom 15 have passed; and of those one has gained a first class in honours, three a third class in honours, three special distinction in Latin, and one in Greek; while out of the whole number only three have failed in the preliminary examination, and one in Latin. This year we have sent up three senior and seven junior candidates.

Two examinations for Matriculation have been held during the year—one in April, when four candidates presented them-selves, of whom two passed, and one this month, when four came up, of whom one withdrew during the examination, and the other three passed with considerable credit. It is greatly to be hoped that before another year is over the University may be induced to institute a regular system of Matriculation Examination for the whole colony, as such a system would give those who are obliged to leave school early a chance of obtaining a certificate of general knowledge, which would have a definite value, while it would greatly facilitate the classification of those who remain. In fact the want of proper means of classification is a most serious defect in our present system. It is quite impossible that the work in the lower forms should be as good as it ought to be until something like a definite standard of attainments is established for admission to the College; that standard need not be at all a high one, at all events at first; but some standard there must be, and it should be so fixed that page 13 boys might pass at once into the College from the higher forms of the primary schools. Thus a boy entering the College at eleven or twelve with a fair knowledge of arithmetic and elementary English, should be able, after three or four years devoted to a steady course of Latin, French, and Elementary Mathematics, to pass the Matriculation examination, and thus gain a qualification sufficient for the Civil Service, professional life, or business; or else, if he were going to continue his education, he would be ready to enter the Collegiate Department and work up for the University examination. Thus the lower and larger portion of the College would be devoted to the work of an ordinary grammar, or what would in England be styled a second grade school, while the upper portion might be entirely devoted to higher education, and would only contain those who were able to profit by such an education. There are at present twelve matriculated students of the University who have their names on the boards of the College, and six of these have presented themselves for examination, in order by so doing to keep their University terms for the year, and five out of the six have been attending the College classes. During the year the following distinctions have been gained by old and present pupils of the College:—

• William Barton, 1st class in Annual College Examination at St. John's College, Cambridge, with special distinction in Latin.
• G. F. W. St. John, 30th in Annual Competition for Admission into Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.
• Albert Martin, 35th, out of 453 in the Preliminary Examination for the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
• A. W. Morrah, Senior Cambridge Local Certificate, with special distinction in Greek and Latin.
• J. W. Bell, Senior Cambridge Local Certificate.
• H. B. Harvey, 1st class in honours Junior Cambridge Local Certificate.
• J. Ludwig, Junior Cambridge Local Certificate.
• H. B. Kirk, silver medal for Botanical Collection, Ballarat Industrial Exhibition; bronze medal for Zoological, at ditto.
• J. C. Webb, silver medal for Botanical Collection, Ballarat Industrial Exhibition.

I have just concluded the Annual Examination for Primary Scholarships, the Governors having decided that for the future one of these scholarships should be open to boys from the town schools, and one to boys from the country schools. Nine boys came up for each. I have to recommend Charles Pownall, page 14 from the Thorndon school for the town scholarship, and Knight, from the Lower Hutt, for the country. There were seven other candidates who entered for the country scholarship, but the notice they received was too short to enable them to come up, another instance of the want of proper advertisement. The work of the boys from the Thorndon school, the only one of the town schools that sent up any candidates, was exceedingly good, and in fact there was considerable difficulty in selecting the best candidate, Louis Barnett, who stands next, being only seven marks out of 217 behind Pownall, and being well worthy of a scholarship, if the Governors had another at their disposal.

Making a total of £430 available annually for the promotion of higher education by scholarships and prizes.

A beginning has been made during the last few months towards supplying what has long been a great want, namely, a cricket ground for the use of the boys. About £50 was raised by subscriptions among the parents and friends of the boys; and with that sum, aided by the labour of a small gang from the gaol, obtained by the kind permission of the Visiting Justices, a piece of ground has been levelled, three chains by two; the expenditure of about a similar amount of money would complete a ground sufficiently large for all the requirements of page 15 the College, and the value of such an addition can hardly be over-estimated.

I subjoin a detailed report from Mr. Kirk on the work in the Natural Science Department. It is a matter of extreme regret that the unavoidable absence of Dr. Hector has prevented the inspection of that department by one thoroughly qualified to examine it; but the want of independent examination does not lessen the value of the work done; of that the report and collections now to be seen in the Museum are a sufficient proof.

The Rev. W. H. West's Report.

To the Governors of Wellington College, Wellington.

Gentlemen,—In compliance with your request, I have examined the College in the English subjects of the course of study pursued—the 6th, 4th, and 3rd forms by means of written papers, and the 1st and 2nd viva voce. As I had charge of the Cambridge Local Examinations it occurred to me that in the absence of a New Zealand University examination test, no better one could be found than that supplied by the Cambridge papers, accordingly at the suggestion, and with the sanction of the Principal, I gave the Cambridge Senior and Junior papers in Shakespere's Julius Cæsar, English History, Geography, English Grammar, English Composition to the upper and lower divisions of the fifth form. The results are upon the whole satisfactory, the English Grammar paper was most creditably done, and the answers to the other papers evinced a fairly accurate acquaintance with the subjects.

The papers sent in to me by the 6th form on "Bacon's Advancement of Learning," two plays of Shakespere, and English Literature from 1658 to 1714, were well expressed, and showed a good grasp of the subjects. As regards the other forms there is considerable proficiency shown in some subjects, and in all the attainments are fair.

The only subjects in which the boys of the 2nd and 3rd forms are not quite up to the average standard is that of English Grammar and Analysis, speaking generally. As regards the quantity and quality of the instruction given, and methods page 16 employed, as far as such can be ascertained by examination papers, I think there is an honest effort made to drill the pupils of the College in the essentials of the subjects prescribed, and to train them in the use of what they do acquire.

There are, in my opinion, very undesirable contrasts in the attainments of some of the pupils in the lower forms, and it seems to me that such a state of things cannot very well be remedied as long as pupils are admitted to the College without having passed any examination. It must be obvious that such an institution as this is not the place to teach boys to write or to spell words of two or three syllables.

I think that it is most desirable, with a view to the efficiency of the Institution, that every boy entering it should be able to pass an examination equivalent to that of the 4th or 6th standard of the State schools, or be called upon to produce a certificate to that effect. As long as the present indiscriminite system exists, it must interfere, in my judgment, with the efficient organisation of the classes, and must issue in wasteful expenditure of teaching power and unsatisfactory results.

Report on Mathematics and Arithmetic.

Dear Sir,—I have completed the examination of the Mathematical Classes, and it affords me much pleasure to testify to the satisfactory results, generally, of the labours in this department during the year just drawing to its close.

On a previous occasion I was compelled to remark on the great want of accuracy and neatness exhibited by the junior divisions. I am gratified to find much improvement in these respects in the papers before me. The work, as a whole, does not come up to the standard of last year, but this was to be expected as several of the senior students have left the College, their places for the most part being filled up by younger lads not so far advanced in these subjects; still a considerable number of the papers are highly creditable, and prove that able and careful teaching has been followed up by diligent application.

I have furnished the Principal with the usual lists showing page 17 the order of merit of the pupils in their respective classes.

Report on Natural Science.

Sir,—I beg to return herewith the papers on Natural Science; for the recent examination at Wellington College. I regret that owing to my unavoidable absence I was unable to conduct the examination as promised, but having gone carefully through both the questions set and the answers, it gives me great pleasure to state that the character of the work disclosed by the papers is most satisfactory. The papers are of a somewhat higher standard than is usual for such examinations, but, nevertheless, the replies show that they are not beyond the capabilities of the students, who appear to have received a thorough and practical course of tuition in the various branches of Science.

Professor Kirk's Report.

Sir,—At the commencement of the year it was resolved to form a third or elementary class in connection with this section. I have pleasure in stating that the work in this, as well as in the old divisions, has been of a satisfactory character.

The work of the new division has been restricted to Elementary Botany and Zoology: as far as possible the instruction given has been based upon the examination of recent or dried specimens.

An extended course of Lectures on Systematic Botany and Morphology was delivered to the second division during the first term and a portion of the second. The third term was devoted to a course of Lectures on Vertebrated Animals, their anatomy, physiology, distribution, and classification.

A Course of Lectures extending over seven months was page 18 delivered to the Senior division on Systematic and Structural Botany, the latter portion of the course being devoted to the Morphology and development of Cryptogams. The remainder of the year was taken up by a Course of Lectures on the Invertebrata, specially adapted for students going up for the B.A. pass examination of the New Zealand University.

In addition to the above, special instruction has been given on two or three evenings in the week to a former College student, who intends to present himself for the B.A. examination.

Owing to the unforeseen absence of Dr. Hector, who was appointed Examiner by the Board of Governors, and in compliance with your request, I have drawn up examination papers in each subject and submit the results herewith, but as they will doubtless be revised by Dr. Hector on his return, I offer no remarks on their character.

The Botanical and Zoological Collections exhibited in competition for the Levin prize are highly creditable to the students, and their correct arrangement shows a detailed knowledge of classification on the part of the exhibitors.

The Botanical and Zoological Collections of Harry Borrer Kirk and James C. Webb, the Levin prizemen of last year, were exhibited at the Ballarat Industrial Exhibition, where a silver medal was awarded to Kirk for his Botanical Collection, another to Webb for the Collection of Plants exhibited by him, and a bronze medal to Kirk for his Zoological Collection. Only one silver medal besides the above were awarded in this section.

In virtue of the conditions under which the Levin prizes are competed for, the above collections became the property of the College. As they were not required for College work, Kirk's Botanical Collection, the larger of the two, was presented to the Taranaki Athenaeum, with the view of diffusing a knowledge of the work performed in the College. Webb's collection has been presented to the Museum of the Hokitika Literary and Scientific Society.

Additions have been made to the Museum of the College, perhaps the most noteworthy is a small but valuable collection of New Zealand Fishes presented by the Director of the Colonial Museum. I greatly regret the want of suitable cases in which to preserve these and other specimens of value, which are becoming deteriorated by exposure.

In my last report I mentioned the promise of certain donations towards the purchase of microscopes for the College. It now affords me pleasure to state that four excellent instruments, with a liberal amount of additional apparatus to each, have page 19 been purchased from Messrs. R. and J. Beck. London, and are now available for work. The following is a list of donations received for this object. The total amount is sufficient to defray the cost of the instruments and all incidental expenses, freight, &c., so that this valuable addition to the appliances of the College has been procured without indenting in any way upon the limited funds at the disposal of the Board of Governors.

I am greatly indebted to the good offices of Messrs. Owen and Graham, who purchased these instruments at a considerable reduction from the usual cost.

Levin Prize.

page 20

£5: Awarded to J. Taylor.

The Collection comprises specimens of about 240 species illustrating all the sub-kingdoms of animalia. It is correctly classified and comprises one or two species new to science.

The Collection of Zoological Objects exhibited by W. Moorhouse deserves high commendation. It contains specimens of over 200 species, and extends our knowledge of the Fauna of the district.

The Levin Prize Collections of 1877 were exhibited at the Ballarat Industrial Exhibition, and received the following awards:—

• A Silver Medal to Harry Borrer Kirk for his Collection of Dried Plants.
• A Silver Medal to James C. Webb for his Collection of Dried Plants.
• A Bronze Medal to Harry Borrer Kirk for his Collection of Annulose Animals.

Report on Ancient and Modern Languages.

The results of the Yearly Examination of the pupils of the College in the Latin, Greek, French, and German languages, have been satisfactory.

In each department I have observed a manifest and pleasing progress. In Latin, the knowledge and merits of the higher classes were tested, partly by papers set by myself, and partly by papers forwarded for the Cambridge Examinations. The subjects embraced in these papers are translations from Latin into English, English into Latin, and questions on the structure of the language, and on the history and antiquities of the country.

The authors selected were Terence, Cicero, Ovid, and Cæsar. The translations from the Latin were close to the original, and expressed in excellent English. In the translation from English, as well as in the answers to the questions on construction, I traced a marked improvement.

The answers to the questions on the Roman History and Antiquities were, in general, correctly given.

In the lower classes I found that careful attention had been given to grounding the pupils in the accidence of the language.

It was with regret I heard that so small a number of boys had this year taken up the Greek language. Those, however, who did present themselves for examination in that language, gave replies which afforded satisfactory proof of their progress.

The papers on which they were examined were framed on the same principle as that on which the examinations in Latin were prepared, and translations from Euripides and Xenophon.

In the French the answers given by the higher classes were excellent. The translations from Molière, an author by no means easy to render felicitously, were very good.

I found also that the junior classes were being well-trained in the elementary principles of the language.

In German, the examinations were this year exclusively oral. The translation of the passages from the German, proposed by me to the pupils, as well as their answers to questions in Grammar, were entitled to high praise.