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Pahiatua Star and Eketahuna Advertiser, Volume 1, Issue 21, 20 August 1886, Page 4

Wen grit to hear (says an exchange tlmt the Apostle of the Le|*ers of Molonai is lx ginning to pay the |x- unity of his );. r Um. Hint away from ill civilised and healthy humanity. Father Daiin-n has for years been a willing prisoner in the island, ill which art- collected ami confined the lci>ers of all the neighbouring Sandwich group. For a long time, though cut off Iron) the outward world, Father Diuncn continued in good health, though alone among the dead. Hut the stroke has fallen at last. In a letter recently he said:—“ Impossible for me to go auv more to Honolulu on account of the leprosy breaking out on me. The microbes have finally settled themselves in my left leg, my ear, and one eyebrow begin to fall. 1 e\i>cct to have my face ssxui disfigured. Having no doubt myself of the t.-ue character of my disease, 1 feel raliu, resigned, and happier among my people. Almighty God knows w hat is u-st tor my sanctifications; and with that conviction I sav daily a good h int ro/unta. fan.,' Where is tile heroism which will die w ilh this * Professor T. J. Parker lectured at Invercargill on Tuesday evening on flightless birds. In the course of his remarks, a* report, d in the Suithland Times, Professor Parker pointed out these tlightless lords were all inhabitants of oceanic islands—islands at a distance from a continent. Another point was that a very large proportion of the known species were found in the colony. New Zealand being /xlr rxotllrnct the home of the flightless binl. The inability to fly bail probably bent caused through continued disuse of the wings. Prior to the advent of the Maoris ill New Zealnild thegroiind feeling birds had no enemies from which it was necessary to escape by flight, and therefore the means ef flight would have been useless to them. He descnl>ed the notomia, the ostrich, the moa. the )*ngum, the kiwi, and other flightless birds, and concluded and able ami interesting lecture by stating that the cvistuig species New Zealand were in rapidly disappearing, and that unless stringent measures vs ere adopted fur their protection tlunr total ciuncliuu was uuly a matter of uaic.