THE VISIT OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER TO NEW ZEALAND.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1819, 4 June 1874, Page 3

THE VISIT OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER TO NEW ZEALAND.

[OTAGO DAILY TIMES.] It iB expected that H.M.S. Challenger will leave Sydney about the 20th inst. for Mew Zealand, taking soundings on the way for the submarine cable which is to be laid between New South Wales and this Colony. No doubt while performing this work an opportunity will be afforded the scientific men on board of enriching their collections of the representatives of marine zoology in these seas, especially when the Challenger is off the coasts of the respective Colonies. As regards New Zealand, but little is known about the marine fauna that inhabit the coast. Beyond the dredging done by Mr Traill in the neighborhood of Stewart's Island, we have heard of no systematic attempts to obtain specimens of marine animals off the coast of Otago at leapt, aud judging by the meagre character of the collections in the various Provincial museums, it may reasonably be supposed that dredging operations for scientific purposes in other parts of the Colony have been on a very limited scale. Specimens of the littoral fauna are no doubt fairly represented in the museums, but

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those that can only be obtained by dredging are few and far between. Capt. Hutton has, wo are glad to hear, already arranged for a series of dredging trips in and near the entrance to Dunedin Harbor, and in time, doubtless, our local museum will receive very valuable additions to its collections through this means. The work, however, must necessarily be slow, and probably many years will elapse before a decent collection of our local marine fauna is obtained, if the accumulating of specimens is to depend upon the time which can be devoted to dredging by the officers of the Museum, and the appliances which, under ordinary circumstancrs, they will have placed at their disposal. The visit of the Challenger, however, to this Colony, presents an opportunity of enriching our Museum collections that will not occur again perhaps for very many years. The Challenger, we understand, as at present arranged, will not come on to Port Chalmers, but will remain at Wellington for some time, and will afterwards proceed to Auckland. We have reason to believe, however, that Dr Wyville Thomson, the Naturalist of the Expedition would not be unwilling to visit Otago for the purpose of prosecuting his scientific inquiries. An intimation by the Provincial Government to Dr Thomson, and some other gentlemen engaged in the expedition, that if they extend their trip to this Province every facility will be afforded them of prosecutingthe scientific work they have in hand, will, we have reason to think, lead to their paying us a visit. Such a visit will he advantageous to us in mauy ways. Through the exchanges which Captain Hutton will be in a position to make, our Museum will in all probability receive not only specimens of value obtained on our coast, but rare specimens which are now in possession of the Expedition, and which are at the present time unrepresented in European collections, may also be secured by him. It should be borne in mind, too, that the trip of the Challenger, which is of worldwide interest to men of science, will, at its completion, form material for volumes which will be read wherever the English language is spoken. An opportunity therefore of having Otago described in one of the chapters of the work should not be allowed to pass. Under all the circumstances, we are in hopes that the Provincial authorities will ace that a visit from the scientific men attached to the Challenger Expedition is desirable, and that they will therefore endeavor to arrange that their trip should extend to this part of the Colony.