OUR LONDON LETTER

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9083, 18 June 1888, Page 6

OUR LONDON LETTER

fFBOM OUR OWS CORRESPONDENT. ] London, May 11. SIR WM. JERVOIS. His Excellent has been fortunate enough 1 to get his name placed among the first fifteen candidates nominated by the committee of the Royal Society for election at the next voting. The fact of the name of the Governor being in this fifteen practically ensures his election, because fifteen is just the number vraich have to be elected in June next, and the Fellows never go behind the recommendations of the committee. This is the third year that Sir Williams name has been up before the Society for election, but he has not hitherto been so highly placed. It is considered that he has advanced very rapidly, because many scientists of high repute are on the list for six, eight, and twelve years before they secure election. The facts which have worked in Sir William's favour are his high attainments as

a military engineer, his display of great inventive genius in fortifications, and his having spent several millions of public money on these works. SIR JULIUS VOGEL.

Sir Julius, whose arrival in this country after what he describes as " a pleasant and uneventful voyage,'' I mentioned in my last letter, has taken up his residence in the con-

genial suburb of Bayswater, where he has received the visits of a number of old London friends and acquaintances. He means to rest a little before entering upon what he wishes it to be understood is the prime object of his present mission to England — namely, the completion and publication of a work that will do for New Zealand and the Pacific Archipelago what the Picturesque Atlas of Australasia has accomplished for the neighbouring Continent. His mind is evidently preoccupied with this project, for he seems anxious to elicit all possible Information with respect to the success of this latter work, its reception by the home and colonial public, and the mode of its production, etc. Sir Julius is sanguine of a successful issue for his literary and pictorial venture, and expresses his conviction that the subjects for picturesque treatment in New Zealand were so numerous and so superior to those afforded by the Australian Continent that, from an artistic standpoint, he feels assured the work he has in hand will surpass anything of the sort yet attempted at the antipodes. The new departure of the Illustrated London News in issuing a special colonial edition in Melbourne was also introduced in conversation by Sir Julius, who is an ardent admirer of newspaper enterprise of this description. Possibly he may be able to persuade the great rival of the Illustrated London News to follow suit, and issue a special New Zealand edition of the Graphic, either at Auckland or Wellington. In answer to the question, whether he contemplated being called upon to act in any public capacity during his stay in this country, Sir Julius replied that he had no reason to anticipate anything of the sort, that his business here was purely unofficial, and that he would probably not remain in London more than three or four months. A passing reference to the Midland Railway induced Sir Julius to ask for the latest information on that interesting topic, but he disclaimed anv connection between railway matters and his present visit to England. Sir Julius is, of course, still under the painful necessity of wheeling himself about trom place to place, but in other respects he looks remarkably well, and the trip home would seem to have agreed with him. I understand, however, that if Sir Julius publishes his work under the title he proposes it is likely to involve him in some little difficulty. The publishers of "The Picturesque Atlas of Australasia" claim that their title includes "New Zealand." They refuse all offers of amalgamation of the two works on the part of Sir Julius, and threaten to take legal proceedings if their copyright is infringed. THE CANTERBURY MUSEUM. The announcement that the Board of Governors have extended the time for receiving applications for the post of director of the Canterbury Museum, vacant by the death of Sir Julius Von Haast, is attracting some attention here. Among the candidates for the post will probably be found Mr. R. Rowdier .Sharpe. the well-known curator of the ornithological collections in the British Museum. If the colony is fortunate enough to secure the services of this energetic naturalist, there is no doubt that a fresh impetus will be given to the progress of science in New Zealand. Since his appointment to the British Museum in 1972, Mr. Sharpe has devoted his entire energies to the development of the collection under his charge. From an estimated number of 35,000 specimens of birds in 1872, this collection has risen to 250,000 skins, a result which is almost entirely due to Mr. Sharpe's personal exertions. The princely donations of the Hume, Goodman, and Tweedale collections, which has made the British Museum cabinet of birds the finest in the whole world,

were in each case accompanied by an expression of confidence in Mr. Sharpe's curatorship; and it is known that these collections were given to the British Museum that they might be under his care, and available to naturalists generally. Mr. Sharpe is not only an excellent organiser but is a good speaker and lecturer, and a very popular man wherever he is known. Under his direction the Canterbury Museum would certainly maintain the leading position it now holds among the scientific institutions of the southern hemisphere. THE HESSIAN FLY. I alluded in my last letter to the fact that specimens of the insects discovered in the llangitikei district had been forwarded to Miss Eleanor Ormerod, the consulting entomologist to the Royal Agricultural Society of England, who had" pronounced them to be undoubtedly the Hessian Fly. Miss Ormerod has examined these specimens very minutely, and drawn up a report upon them, which has been submitted to the Agent-General. This is a document of the utmost value to farmers, and if it has not already .been printed for circulation in the colony, I trust that the attention now called to it will have the effect of inducing the authorities to take so desirable a step. The means of prevention which Miss Ormerod most strongly recommends is ploughing in, though firing the stubble she regards as a useful measure when practicable. Another means of prevention is by what is called "bait"—that is, sowing a narrow strip or two of corn to attract the flies to lay eggs and then plough it under. She mentions six sorts of wheat which, out of a hundred varieties that were experimented upon, were the only kinds that were found to be so strongly stemmed, as not to " elbow " down under attack. They are —1. Bearded wheat from Missojen; 2, Palestine; 3, Petoli; 4, Volo; 5, Greek wheat from Atlanti; 6, Forelle. Mis 3 Ormerod concludes her report by submitting to the consideration of the Agent-General the following important points :—l. That few are thoroughly well acquainted with the signs of attack in the field. 2. That very few indeed know how to distinguish the flax seeds," or puparia in the sittings; and (3) that there is reason to suppose' that the presence of these, even when known of, is often concealed, to the serious injury of the district. Looking at these points and the enormous importance that it is to the colony to keep the attack in check, she suggests the appointment of one or more properly qualified inspectors, whose duty it should be to proceed to any new point of outburst and report thereon, and officially to watch carefully and examine the condition of the crops ; the condition of the sittings at the farms, and also the condition of the imported straw, wheat, barley, or rye, A very little instruction, Miss Ormerod considers, would be sufficient to qualify them to distinguish the attack, but it is very important that they should be men of sound agricultural knowledge, able to suit the treatment to the needs of the case.