SCIENCE AND THE KERMADECS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 78, 26 December 1907, Page 9

SCIENCE AND THE KERMADECS.

."■.■■ ,; VAN EXPLORING-PARTY. i ; 'A,scientific party consisting of Messrs"; C: is. -Warden' (meteorologist), T. Iredale (zobl- , ogist),-. W. R. ;BUOliver : (botanist), S. R. Oliver (geologist),-and W. L. Wallace (entomologist), .left, Wellington for Auckland on Monday,; to go by the Government steamer Minemoa to the Aermadec Islands, where they-will carry oi for a year scientific iri- . Vpstigations simili.r to those which have just been -conducteo/ *y a. larger party, in the ;.- islands further, ■ south. The scientists have : received; small grants towards their expenses from ..the Canterbury and'Otago Institutes. lheKermadecs, which lie about half way . between, Auckland and Tonga, and 600 miles from the New Zcaland : port,, have never been properly explored by scientists, and they olfer several interesthg subjects for study. | Awong these ve fat;- that lives- en- . tirely.-nn fruit, and akes (disastrous raids . OH.orciianlK. Sunday Island," the largest of til* groiVp,'.contains remains of- an extinct lurcf, :thc. incgiipodo, which is said to have ' '".'f;' 1 i'.xtorriiin'atcd by a volcanic eruption in 1a72. .'■ -.. TJio: and,fauna, of the. islands combiii.c,''N;4W '"Zea'and'anil 'South-, Jand spucies,•' pohtit -nwa trees being h'umefous'in.the bush. :lc * ,e party will return New Zealand by'fr ■ Hinemoa when she calls again at the isian i in twelve'months'time, ,' and will woik iip t,ie results of thoir investi-. gations in the Doriihibn. ■ ' ■■' * A prominent local scientist expresses'-thb opinion- that the Kermadecs offer a field: for < very useful work,,and that results based on gtv/elyo months' experience will be much more valuable than' those determined from a shorterrstutly, which might be affected by season changes and other causes. He points out that the year's exile from civilisation ; will entail considerable self-sacrifice, and ex- . presses much satisfaction' that'- in a"y6ung • tountry iiien should bo willing to devote themselves so practically to science.