REVIEW.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5374, 18 June 1878, Page 3

REVIEW.

Tbansactions op the New Zealand Institute, vol. X, f Concluded.) Mr. Gillies, an “old Identity,” discourses on “ Some Changes in the Fauna of Otago,” His sketchy paper is valuable, and with others will show from time to time how certain aboriginal plants and animals are quickly disappearing. Mr. Gillies believes that the big blue-bottle fly, which used to “ blow” blankets, great coats, meat, &c., and was a great pest in the eyes of the early settlers, is being quickly driven out by the common house fly. Sandflies, mosquitos, wild ducks, parrots, and other creatures have also almost entirely disappeared from parts where, a few years since, they abounded. Old settlers could do much good service if they would only place on record some of these changes. For instance, if Mr. Colenso, who has written two “magazine” articles, had, instead, told us something about the vegetation of Hawke’s Bay when ho first went there, he would have done most valuable work. If this, our greatest New Zealand botanist, would tell us of changes he has noticed in the New Zealand flora, would write about the destruction or disappearance of New Zealand forests, ho could record many things which he alone knows, ho could tell us facts about the botany of this country which can never be known to future botanists, because the plants have passed clean away. We hope that Mr. Colenso will next year give ns such papers, which would most assuredly be eagerly read now, and would hereafter be much quoted. Mr. Thomson again contributes an article on the “ Dunedin Fish Supply.” For two years Mr. Thomson daily visited the fish shops, and has carefully noted down the different kinds of fish in the market, and the days on which they appeared. The fish most frequently for sale are flounders, herring, red cod, hapuka, moki, and spottios, in the order named. The Dunedinites rarely enjoy whitebait, garfish, haddock, or butterfieb, but ling aro plentiful. During only twenty-two days in the year were the shops Without fish, Mr. Kirk records the discovery of several now species of plants, and has done much work during tho year. We are glad to find that Mr, Skoy has chemically analysed several of our mineral waters, because hitherto there has been no such useful and available report. To doctors the paper will be most valuable, as it will enable them to judge which spring will .benefit special diseases. These waters contain alum, iron, magnesia, lime, ammonia, sulphuretted' hydrogen, sulphuric, hydrochloric, silicic, carbonic

and phosphoric acids. They also contain potash, soda, iodine, lithia, silica, bromine, and organic matter. Many of these waters resemble tho most famous of British and European medicinal springs. In future we shall drink bottled Mahurangi instead of Vichy, and we shall order “ sherry and Waimangeao ” instead of sherry and Apollinaris. Our waters aro just as beneficial and will bo far cheaper than those imported from tho Old World. Mr. Skey’s other papers will bo eagerly read by scientific chemists. In this volume aro included the meteorological reports, from which many strange facts may be gleaned. At Hokitika last year no less than 136iu. of rain foil, while at Cape Campbell there was only ICiu. of rain. Thus the rainfall in one part of New Zealand is eight and a-half times greater than that in another. At Christchurch, which is nearly in the same latitude as Hokitika, the rainfall was only one-sixth of that which fell at the western town. At Wellington 52iu. fell. The direction of the wind is most varied. The north-west wind in Wellington blew during 191 days in tho year, but in Dunedin during only five. Only once during the year did the wind come to Wellington from the south. Twelve earthquakes were felt in Wellington, cf which two were smart. At no other place in the colony were more than two earthquake shocks recorded j thus Wellington suffered from six times as many earthquakes as any other part of New Zealand. Happily these earthquakes were mild, and did no harm -stall. Last year the colony was visited by a great wave, tho results of a tremendous earthquake in or near tho west coast of South America. Peru has lately been visited by a similar wave, which has inflicted immense damage on its principal seaport, Callao. Dr. Hector calls our attention to a “ paper by Mr. Bussell, the Government Astronomer at Sydney, which states that the slightest earthshocks felt in New Zealand are nearly always recorded in the tide guages in Sydney and Newcastle, and are most unaccountably coincident with abnormal readings of one of the thermometers in the observatory.” Dr. Hector’s remarks on these waves should, be read by all. In this brief review we have picked out only a few of the many topics of interest in this volume. A large amount of really useful scientific work is being done by many men in the colony. The volumes of the institute contain matter and information about New Zealand which cannot he elsewhere found. This volume has been excellently corrected, and contains none of those blunders in the spelling of scientific words which so marred its predecessor. Members of the Wellington Philosophical Society have contributed very largely to its pages, 44 out of the 78 papers having been written by them. The only fault wo can find is that every paper which is read before any society is thought worthy of insertion. If the governors will next year exercise a little discretion, and reject unsuitable papers, tho volume will be thereby greatly improved.