OUR VANISHING FORESTS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14889, 31 January 1914, Page 15

OUR VANISHING FORESTS.

THE NEED- FOR PRESERVATION. (HIXSS ASSOCIATION TELEORAM.) WELLINGTON, January 30. In the course of his address at the meeting of the New Zealand Institute, the President, after referring to the needs, of the dominion Museum, aud to the question 'of preserving , Maori relics and memorials, went on to say they had a etill larger and more important museum entrusted to their care, the zoology, botany, and geology of New Zealand, with its specimens of ancient types, not only found nowhere else in the world, but in so many cases connecting our present plants and animals 'with thoso that lived on the earth in former geological ages, and that had become extinct everywhere else. Botanists had repeatedly pointed out that the flora cf New Zealand presented in a comparatively small space all tho types of vegetation to bo found in tho world. It contained many plants found only in particular localities in New Zealand, and of extreme interest, nnd many also of greater economic value. The same thing was truo of our animals. Everyone knew of our tuatara, which a late distinguished zoologist described as thc animal most important, zoologically, on tho faco of tho earth. But among the smaller animals, there were many types almost ns extraordinary and as well deserving of full and careful study. It "was true that a good deal has been done in the work of investigating homo of these, but the subject had only been touched on tho Ktirfueo, and thero was much that had not yet been attempted at all. Their first duty, however, was to see that theso objects were, as far as possible, preserved, so that they might he worked out by their successors, if not by themselves." "Meanwhile," ho said, "our forests are being destroyed at an alarmingly rapid rate, and often for most insufficient reasons, and with them aro destroyed, also, the insects and other animals that live in the bush. Very many of these havo not yet boen colJccfpd or investigated, and they are rapidly becoming extinct. In some notes for a lecture found araone a lew papers left by the lato Captain .Huttnu and entrusted to mc. there is a pathetic reference to this matter, in which he gives expression to his grief nt tho small amount of work that it hns been possible to do at the entomology of New Zealand "If this institute is to tako its prober share in the scientific work of New Zealand, its first and most urgent duty is to secure the preservation of all objects of scientific importance in New Zealand thnt are liaise to be destroyed, and to see that sufficient forest' is preserved untouched on all hill-tops, and in valleys and other places whero it is possible to Preserve it without interfering with tho advance of settlement, and that specimens of all plants and animals likely to become extinct aro collected and properly and permanently preserved.