CHATHAM ISLANDS

Press, Volume LX, Issue 17990, 6 February 1924, Page 6

CHATHAM ISLANDS

SCIENTIFIC PARTY. THREE MEMBERS RETURN. Three members of the scientific party which is nt present engaged on the exploration of the Chatham Islands arrived back by the steamer Tees yesterday morning. They were Mr G. E. Archev, M.A.. assistant-curator of the Canterbury Museum, Mr C. Lindsay, also of the Museum, and Mr E. P. Northcroft, B.Sc, of Dunedin. Mr Archev spent about two months at the islands studying bird life and general biology, and Mr ]\ T ortlieroft studied the botany of the islands. Interviews} by a representative of "The Press" yesterday, no members of the party were prepared to give definite accounts of the results of their work, but gave some indication of the form their discoveries would take.

Mr Archey said that his itinerary extended over eight weeks. Tor the first three weeks lie worked over the whole of the north coast, and then visited Maungamii, Wharekauri, and Kaingaroa. From this point ho went to Owenga, covering then part of the south coast. He left, then, for a contemplated six days' stay at Mangare Island, but owing to- bad weather the stay was prolonged for seventeen days. On the return journey he came to tho south-west coast as far as the Horas.

Mr Archey said that on behalf of the Museum he had secured a number of specimens of native birds, such as the tui, paroquet, and various seabirds. He had also collected a number of entomological and forest floor fauna species, spiders, centipedes, and Crustacea. He had also been presented with Moriori'curios by various residents of the islands. From what ho had been told by residonts, native bird lifo in tho islands soemed to bo on tho increase. Tho Chatham Islands bellbird and fern-bird, howovor, may have disappeared,- as none had boon soon, but of this ho could not bo certain. Otherwise tho avifauna of the islands seemed to bo in good condition. With Mr Lindsay he had been able to secure some very interesting nesting and fledgling stages of certain specimens, such as the mutton bird, the bluo penguin, the shag, gulls, and the small bluo whale-bird.

Mr Archey, in common with the other members of tho party who arrived back yesterday, spoke highly of the kindness and interest of the residents towards the members of 'the party. Their, interest, he said, had been very helpful. Just before he had left the island, the people had assembled and given the party a concert at which a number of Natives were present. Dr. Ellison, the resident magistrate, presided at the concert, and expressed tho interest which the Chatham Islands people had taken in the work of the expedition. Four members of the party then gave short lectures on their work. Mr H. D. Skinner gave a short account of his anthropological work, Mr E. S. Allan a brief account of the geological history of the island, Mr W. Martin spoke of his botanical work, and Mr Archey himself spoke of the European freshwater eel, its relation to the local tuna, and its bearing on the fishing resources of the islands. An address of welcome in Maori was delivered by Mr Ti Wai Pomare, a chief of the Natives. Mr Northcroft, whose particular line of investigation was plant life on the islands, was also able to give some account of his work. Dr. Cockayne, he said, had so thoroughly explored the islands that there was little left to be done. Eor the botanist the islands were most interesting, as there were a "lot of plants there which were not found on the mainland.* Most of the plants were native to the islands, but quite a number of imported ones had come there. His own part of the expedition had been very successful but he could not say that tho botany of the islands had been quite worked out until Pitt Island and the outside islands had been thoroughly explored. Some of the other members of the party may possibly have visited these places. He himself had covered the southern portion of the main island and Te Whenga lagoon. No new species had been discovered there except coxella, which had been originally found by Cox, after whom it was named. This was very abundant on the south coast between Manakau Point and Teawatapu. An interesting plant there was the Chatham Islands lily, a member of the forget-me-not family, the leaves of which had been described by Dr. Cockayne as being as large as rhubarb leaves. There were no forests there, as the term was understood in New Zealand, but there was a good deal of foiest scrub, rc-aching- a height of aooat fifty feet. Of timber there was no shortage for posts, but all the building timber had to bo imported. He considered that the most' useful tree was the ake ake (olearia traversii), which was used for firing, was a good lasting timber, excellent for burning and for posts. If it grew as tall as pinus insignia it would be an extremely useful tree. No such trees grew on the waste land, which was mainly peat. No analysis, however, had been made as yet of the soil. Tho best farming soil was undoubtedly coastal, as the inland merged into poor fern and peat land, with a large proportion of it pure bog. Mr Northcroft added that the detailed results of the investigations carried out by the party could not be made known, as all the results had to bo placed before the New Zealand Institute. The trip had been very satisfactory, and apart from a few storms the weather was excellent. He had been able to work on most days, and had brought back many specimens. He, too, paid a tribute to' the hospitality of the residents of the islands. "I went there," he added, "prepared to go into camp and live on biscuits and cheese, but the people were quite annoyed at the idea of us camping out." The other members of the party, Messrs Maxwell Young, P.C.S. (biology), H. D. Skinner, 8.A., Dunedin (anthropology), E. S. Allan, B.Sc, Otago School of Mines (geology), J. Warwick, M.A., Government, palasontologist (fossil life), and W. Martin, B.Sc., Dunedin (botany), are due back by the next boat from the Chathams.