Advancement of Science.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 January 1923, Page 4

Advancement of Science.

WKLI.NHTON CO.VCRKSS

XK'iV ZKAI.AND Rl I! I)S. WKLLIXtJTON. Jan 17. “\(,.v Zealand birds.” said Air J. ('• Alvers in a pap-ar read to the Scioner C iii-ress. ‘‘form a dissipated reiunalit of the most intcrfisLing avifauna ol the earth." for fortv years their liist,nry had been oim of disappetiratmc a.nil a—.tcrmillation. Kxtormination bad be-:‘it proceeding rapidly. The introduction of rabbits, lollowed by j stoats, fi ii-ct-; and wcon bad bad a f deadly effect on indigenous birds. The destruction of lorexts and so me inixt piirahlo disappearanci's, such as that ol i the kakapo. seemed to ]>:iini n> an m- ' evitable total extinction of all land birds; but Ihe most autlioritative predictions on these lines now were lining largelv disprovt d. II Kir Walter Ruller'.s statistics (1 ()(>-">) were correct. I I'iglit. end-mic species had either m- ; creased in one or lnorr. localities or 1 app.sired where previously unknow.ii. Kive had definitely decreased since < 1905. and thirty were obviously tnainl tniuing gianind. while four specit s wore j extinct long before 1990. cnicfly I through fires- and collectors. Of the I remaining eigliecn eindemic sp.ecns ! there was iii'.uflicient evidence on | whiih to express an opinion, but the ' speaker was of opinion that many of the more, highly specialised species would survive in sanctuaries ii properly plolevtA’d. The old Maoris, said Air .Myers, had a. thorough svsLom of bird protection. Supplies of food for the birds were rigoroitsdv watelicil and used only in mo(L»tai',n. Certain numbers only were permitted to be taken, whether | for food ol- feathers, and pernns-u n j had always to he obtained. Ruder the Afaot'i system, none of the rare bird- ! would have beeome extinct. I e-da,. | the Afaori following European precedents. was the worst offender in the slaughter of pigeons and kakas.

Lf OXIXIO COALS. Papers by Air AV. 0. R. Gilling and Hr V,. P. Kvans showed that typical analyses of gas obtained from very varied coals show that difficulties alleged to arise in connection with the i:.se of liguitic coals in producer practice in many eases are due to want of care and in others simply are of a a mechanical, not eheinieai, nature. In another paper, it was shown that the New Zealand lignites testod eniitaiiied extractive quantities comparing favourably with those obtained from Kiiropean coals; waxes obtained possess good body, harden well, and take a high polish. Dr Kvans argued that the exclusion of sulphur in determining the rank of liguitic coals is not ju-tiliahl . He

gave an account of a resinous fossil wood from Kvandale, Aloiint Somers, fie <aid that the woody structure was evident to the eye. and that the mivroseetion-; showed the canals cuinph teiy fill.>l with resin. Tlie material might he a remnant or trees whose resin wastored up in many of the South Island lignites.

OTHER. RAKERS ON (DAL. Several papers were cmnmimirated by Hr Kvans. A paper hv .Mr L. R. Dunn dealt with a comparative study of three New Zealand brown coals as regards ibe nature of a-sli. Mr 1.. 11. James’s paper on a preliminary ilivesligation of coal resin Irom Central Otago suggested that the resin might be inmv profitably employed than as at pres nit in tilling chimney stacks with soot. Hr Kvans ami Air Dunn submitted a note on a hard jet-like coal from Coal Crick Klat. Thiy stated that the lumps obtained were different from coal in which they were embedded, being higher in carbon and hydrogen, and much lower in vat; I .'. I hey suggested that the material was porous weathered rock, salinated with himminous matter. IJii.MTE COALS. Dr W. I). Kvans and .Mr .1. A. Oilma.li submitted a paper on "Low and Alodium Temiieratui'n Carlmnisatioii ol Typical High-sulphur and I ow-sliilmr Lignite (' als." The results were given of two complete S ds of experiments at It in pe rat i ires \nrying from 27lldeg. to OlOdeg ('. The increase of calorific value was shown to he of Hie order of 11 ni. cal- per gram, and it was slated ! hat tlm residue at the temp raluro of maximum calorilic value '.va* eminently .suitable for use ns a luel fur general purpo-ts. The di.-i ilhiles. a llhntigh probably mu of siifTicicm importance to warrant refining if a market was available near at hand. Hr Kvans also read a paper on the elimination of sulphur during carhonisa lii in. The purrem ago of elimination of sulphur had b * u studied m tile ca-c of two typical lignite ceaL. one iiiii--I'lining over b per cent, and the other hiss that: d.A per cent of sulphur. The i oimlusion w a-- drawn that 'he orvenu Milphur v. a- dominant in Ih. pnv -s. S()( TA !, SCIENCES. !>r -I. Hunt submitted an address m the Social and Statislical Si mm e See lion, on llm iicnl for reviewing tlm position of tlm sueial seioiieos in \ustralia and Nvw Zealand. Ho stated that the work el' siud-nls and re-eareb-ers in sol ial soil in e- should be org.'injs as far as pie-ib!e in: a plan that reccgni.sefl tin inter-relation b ! 'i' IS,- vuc.-s and provided tor He maxili'.iir) of co-operative chort over Hie whole social s-ienco Hold. Tb-i-s-o: ial ion should ytthst itttie for "xisij. . a , or ■■■ *>tj» devoted to the social science-:. There was imed „ wi.lcr felli-W'bio ol wnrk-rs in ial .<*i ■ iri■ ' - geimral!'. . A bi-mom uR su.-ial - -ii'ii; is journal or review probably wo'llil h ' ome strong!" all,! P. rmaneii! Iv esiabii-bed ; it would luiv far more infila'nce than a number c. After- a topg ]vri< d of llig! e' ' 1 uvr v,t ii ie ba I beg ini to re, ogni-e He suria.l S'ieiiee- as being worlbv o! in their eg, t'ietda b e ! r- -i m iua Hi; mil ties, ami il"' natural ami of. si-il ieore -. lie Impel! 1 !t:l> a 1 mince would be aia.oiutcd !.., i’; into lbe l>o-:i cei ol ilie social * a o ' in I cseareli. e.ltti alien and op'" ~, ni,, \; w- Zealand and Ansi ralia and make suggestions to tlm next t> ;"i ai y - i-tii ni tlio ji''nci:»iinii.