GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 142, 3 July 1937, Page 6

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

-Fress Association.)

Appointment of Dr. H. J. Finlay SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

mmm (By Telegraph—

DUNEDIN,- Last Night. A New Zealand Government appointment of considerable \economic importance has been awarded to Dr. H. J. Finlay, Dunedin, who has established. an enviable xecord in the field of scientific research. Dr. Finlay has been appointed to the position of micropalueontologist in the New Zealand Geological Survey, Wellington, under the Minister of Mines. This means for Dr. Finlay continual work with the microseope in the examination of very minute fossils in rock specimens brought in by geologists. This work is necessary to determine the age of sediments, which is

eeonomically important wherever there are coal or oil prospects. His work wiil be confined chiefly to the group of primitive organisms called foraminifera. These are found in practically every marino sediment — often when no other fossils occur — and have been intesively studied in America in connection with oil fields for the past 10 years. Every oil company of any size has its own research laboratory with one, or often several, micro-palaeontologists solely engaged in this work. Dr. Finlay 's shell collection, which has been sold to the Auckland Mu* seum, is scientifioally the largest and most valuable that has yet been made in New Zealand. It was gathered by Dr. Finlay through personal collecting throughout New Zealand "and by exchaqge . A visit to Australia in;1923 allowed him an opportunity to bring back the best collection of Australian fossil shells in the Dominioxu The collectioh sold to Auckland contains over ■ 1,000,000 "specimens, many of which are unique and described in Dr. Finlay's papers as new or still awaiting description. ' In 1933 Dr. Finlay was offered and accepted the position of palaeontologist to the Yacuum Oil Company which at that time was conducting a geological investigation of the Poverty Bay district in search of oil. This task entailed an almost complete cessation of work on mollusica in order to allow him to prosecute a close study of foraminifera and other minute fossils. A very large collection of the latter was formed in Gisborne and handed over at the close of the investigation to the Auckland Museum. He continued to be engaged in this work, even after tho Vacuum Company party dispersed in 1934. The Vacuum company collection has been . on loan to Dr. Finlay since 1934, and the Geological Survey has sent numerous samples for examination so that the material he has gathered together in this field now forms another unique and valuable collection. No other scientist in New Zealand is engaged in this very specialised work, 'and there are only two qr three in Australia, though hundreds in America and Europe, where the importance of these tiny shells has been earlier recognised.