THE CANTERBURY MUSEUM.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12479, 16 April 1906, Page 7

THE CANTERBURY MUSEUM.

ARRIVAL OF THE NEW CURATOR

The new curator of tlio Canieriliury Mu-eum, Mr Edgar R. "Waite, arrived in Christ-church on Good Friday from Sydney. Mr Wailto succeeds the late Captain F. W. Hutton, aaul formrirly occupied the position of zcolcgusfc to the Australian Museum in. Sydney. Ho was aLo proniiuenttily asscciaited with the Now South Wiik'S Naturalists' Society, and was zoologist to the Thetis trawling expedition. icthyology is the lie Id to which Mr WaL-to Jias directed a great deal of research, and next to fishes, reptilos h-ave received special ntt?ntian at his hanids. He will havo liit-t-lo scopo for .studying the latter, particularly as far a« snakes are concerned, in New Zealand, but t*ho fi«h life of t : heso waiters wiH in soinio way for our shortcomings in. respect to repcilia.

.XLr Wnito was kind enough to giro a "Press" representative half an hour of his time yt*iter<lay, but naturally enough preferred to >ra-erve any impressic.Ls of hie new Burro midlives until .lie .had 'iiad more time to become acquainted wLth them. Dr. Chilton conduoU-d him over tho Museum on Saturday, and romarking on his first visit to it, Mr Waite said: "I am favourably impressed with tho Mu.seu.ni, and rihould like to carry on the good work my predecessors have done here. There i« .still ample room in. certain departmeiiit«, and raine of tho galleries liave apace for extension, while others to my mind are full and ■•vo really t>om'.'what crowded. A.s yon know, I am beet kncunii as a. man, and when I have timo to look round, I ehall probably Mottilo down and do fiomo work among the New Zealand fishes.

"I broniigfltb gv-lv: a number of fiKhes for iho Kxhibition. They eanie from Cltinui, Japan, and Hong Kong, and in arklttiion there, were soma fi"-'h indigenous to South Wales, but- lujfcirtunately one of tihe men J»a.ndli , nij; t!he ciiko on tho jouniicy let out same of the water to tnako,it lighter, and most of tho specimens died. I have brought. •however, Homo live newts, whbh will no doulit bo of intordst."

Mr Waito takew up hiis new duties almost immediately.