OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14702, 9 December 1909, Page 2

OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN

FOU SENIORS AND JUNIORS. (Conducted by Mabister. to whom ail communications must be addressed.) [Magistkr will bo glad to receive Nutuvo notes, marked papers containing educational articles, diagrams, details of experiments, etc., of scholastic interest to teachers and pupils. Correspondents must, use only onb bide of tho paper, and whether using a pou w.raa or not, must seiul both same and ABDiIESS.] THE RODERICK MAP. Though this map is now hung up on walk from Auckland to the Bluff, and is in a hundred schools in Olago. 1 am sure that many readers who do not possess it will thank me for speaking of ils merits. It is clearly printed in colours; shows the world's naval bases, with docking facilities, coaling station.'; (naval and commercial); all British and foreign cablcs, and, where possible, railways of strategical value; and it is bordered with tho national Hags of all nations. On the reverse is a maw of detail, brielly and clearly given, of the foreign possessions, navies, and armies of all ihe leading Powers. Much of this, apart from its naval and military value, is valuable historically and geographically. Indeed, it is in no small degree a compendium of liistoiy and geography—naval, military, political, and commercial. The Defence Department has procured several copies, and the Minister of Education speaks of it in terms of commendation. Though standing alone in its usefulness, it is compiled and printed in Dunedin—another commendation. As a. half-guinea prize to a. boy or girl, or a gift to a school or a friend, or as a useful ornuinont. to hang up in the "den " of a Volunteer, it can bo recommended with every confidence. THE EMPIRE ANNUALS. Two or three weeks ago I gave lists of hooks suitable for school libraries and .for ■prizes, for buys and girls, but named none costing more than Is 6d each. Since then .1 have- faisfcthny eyes on other .series, and Nelson's shilling series prize-books and those issued l by the Nelsons, Partridges, :nd tho Religious Tract Society, at that, and higher prices, are splendid value. Manyprize-hooks are got up to allow [or hig discounts, and are made to bulk up —often are a maximum amount, of thick lw<\s with a minimum amount of good reading matter. It id not necessary to buy these, now.

As I write I have by me "Tim Empire Annual for New Zealand Boys," ami the companion volume for girls, identical in appearance-. As a matter of fact, however, tlioy are no more for New Zealand boys unci girls except in title on the outside— the interior title omits reference to New Zealand—l hail for young folk in other parts of his ilajesty's dominions. But that doesn't detract from the value of the books. Each is Sin by 6in and 2in thick, anri' contains nearly 400 pages of good, wholesome reading in the shape of about 40 short stories in exceptionally clear type and on uncalendered paper, an important feature in preventing eye-strain. Each has eight coloured' illustrations, an« twice as many process pictures, the whole of tile illustrations being on calendered paper, to give good de.tail. _ As the books cost only 3s 6d each, they may lie safely ordered by country leaders. I should add that tlioy are published l by the Religious Tract Society; but there is in them none of that sickly sentiment so often associated With story books published by houses associated with religions literature. The religious element in the volumes is not obtrusive. For instance, the Foreword in the boys' volume ip written by J. E. K. Studd, once captain of the Cambridge Eleven and now the Director of the Polytechnic in London. He commcnccs by saying " It is better to bo a ' Has l>wn' than to lie a ' Never was.'" He then goes on to name three essentials in "playing the game"—aiming hipli, never losing heart, and helping your neighbour; and winds up by saying that many nmke shipwreck of life " by failing to carry through their stroke." Except by such Forewords spiritually applied the origin of the books would hardly bo suspected.

As these annuals are new aspirants for public ifarour, may I make a suggestion which, if carried out, will. I think, further enhance their value? Lot the stories, if possible, be still more typical of the va-ri-ons parts of Iho Empire. Ilong-kong, Singapore, the Northern Territory, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, Now Zealand, Fiji, South Africa, Uganda, India Egypt, Canada, etc., could each supply prose and verso strongly typical. If this wero done the books would be an ideal presentation of their title. The books are good' a3 they are, and that is why I make tile suggestion. Here is'another suggestion: Why not compile an Empire Fairy Story Book? CLIMATIC RECORDS. llr Roberts, punctual to time, sends in bis November records; tile others, as punctual, but a little later, will no doubt como to hand as usual. lam publishing Mr Roberts's record, however, bcoause next week I shall bo very busy, and I write now what I intended to write then. And it is this: If teachers had 1 used the records giiven in these columns and my notes, and had taken the meteorological records given in tho New Zealand Year Book, several of Iho questions given in recent examinations could hove been answered easily. .Them is a book, too, which is not receiving the recognition it should—"The Geography of New Zealand," by Professor Marshall, H.A., D.Sc., F.G.S., the Professor of Geology in the Otago University. For students it is a capital book. In the chapter on climate, we are told that, while at Clyde the average rainfall is about 15 inches, at Puysegur Point it is 228 inches. I suppose that the rain-clouds there come up in battalions. Mr Roberts tells us that at Ranfurly tho rainfall has been under 16 inches for 11 months. What is the rainfall at Opliir? That has a very dry climate, hasn't, it? I heard, the other day, that tho rainfall tliero has been extremely light since June—that for five months it hasn't rained for three hours in the aggregate. That, of course, is no estimate of the downfall, because when it did rein it might have come down in sheets.

TIIE BOY WHO IS BABIED. This is the title of an article that appeared in an American/ journal called " American Motherland," and I think it good enough to take extracts from it for my columns:— "There are many bad things that a mother can do for her boy, but one of the worst is to 1 baby' him. "It is not the pleasantest thing in the world for a, little'boy to tear his clothes, to skin his shins ancl to risk his limbs climbing: trees, or for him to come home soiled and bruised from a fight. Yet it is the natural instinct, of e.very manly boy to get into places where there is danger. He likes the thrill of it, the feeling of achievement and self-confidence tint it gives. To teach him that, he must never go where he is not perfectly safe or do anything that is not. perfectly ' proper' is to go far towards unfitting him for the risks and conflicts of life. ''As to lighting, ihere is much to be said both pro and con. The bullying boyneeds both restraint and pity. Fighting ' for fun' is a very low type of fun, ami should be discouraged, tit-ill there ave times when any self-respecting boy must fight. Teach him to light, only when it is necessary, to light fair and with all his might, and to accept, the results of the struggle without malice or complaint. Life is full of fighting for all of us. The fighting with fists is only one kind, and is * kind that, even a boy seldom npeds to indulge in. There are better battles to win. Tell the boy this, but do not teach him to be afraid of getting hurt or to submit to bullying or insult.. "The babied boy is usually one who gets into lights whether he will or not. The potting, coddling, indulging process is likely to make any child selfish, conceited, and overbearing. The. boy who has a big supply of self-importance or impertinence without courage and strength to back it up is likely to fare pretty hard when be gets out among other boys. If lie has boon taught by parents and sisters to believe that 1m? is the most precious creature on earth, and that he must have his way all the time, he is likely to go through a bitter experience of disillusionment when he goes to school or on to the general playground. "Let the boy be loved; let him even display freely his affection for others. There is nothing unmanly in that, and few boys from eight to 14 have the courage of their affections. Let him stand up for his rights, firmly but courteously, and as a matter of l-i'MK-'iple. Let liim be taught, however, that his rights uro no greater than those of othors, ami that life is a great game of give-and-take. "The boy who lus been petted too much is usually unpopular with other boys. Most boys despise a ' molly-coddle,' and they are, of "course, right, about it. Most boys, however, are ready to honour the boy who is avowodly in love with his mother or his baby sister, especially if he also possesses courage and strength. " Courage and strength aro tL 1 normal boy's idols. The boy who tells the truth always or who is not" afraid to condemn a wrong thing viil never lack for friends among his fellows. " The boy who is shielded *nd humoured

and pampered, however. seldom develops these traits as docs the one who is early taught, respect tor iho wishes and ihe wei- ' fare of others, lie is moie likely lo develop ■in inordinate selfishness and 'in intolerable | impudence. ( ''Indeed, the 'snoiled' boy usually revenues himself upon his spoilers, since the t 1 liin:vs thai seem 'eatr' in a rliild of six or seven arc likely to seem, even to his doting friend.-, unendurable when he is iO or 12," PROTECTED NATIVE BIRDS AND GAME. " Country (louse" tells us that- his little chap is manful enough to refrain I from "cock-shying" at ilm bellbirds. -Many do not possess the same amount of conscience; again, many may destroy native birds in ignorance. Read the following (inti don't plead ignorance if .you transgress:— Absolutely Protected. — lluia, white heron, blue heron, tui, crested grebe, little grebe, hen pheasant, kiwi blue or mountain duck, bcllbird, bittern, dotterel, while-head, native crow, shining cuckoo, long-tailed cuckoo, fantti.il, fern bird, gaunet, grey warbler, kingfisher, notornis luantelli, parrakcots. kakapo, native robins, stitch bird, swallow, native thrush; also owls, penguins seagulls, and' petrels. NOTES ON CORRESPONDENCE. This week I have a composite letle.r from Ka.ikoura, the communication coimitig from .Mr and Mrs Inviu. and Mr and His Palmer. I have found it necessary, however, to condcnec the. letter. Tho following meteorological notes from Suburban School accompany the let ter: —'IVmpe.ra--1 tiro —January, 62; February, 59; March, 61; April, 58; May, 51; .Tune, 48; July, 46; August, 48; September, 50; Ocloher, 55. ' Ra.in-6, 3, 7, 1, b, 1, 3, 3, 5, and 5 inches respectively. In each case, for brevity, 1 have given the nearest wholo windier, liut under what conditions were tho temperature and measurements taken? Tho address is rather -vague, isn't, it? Where is the suburban school? Near Kaikoura lown? It is some time since "Fantail" has favoured us with a letter. Though now at Mai'ton. in f.lie North Island, "Fantail" still follows our columns. It was just recently that ''Ornithologist" wondered what would be Ihe effect of liberating 'possums near Dunedin, whei-e they and hedgehogs are now found. When a lad I used to go "'iwssuming" in Victoria, and line fun "it.

was. Our dogs used to "tree" the 'possums, and then we manoeuvred until we got the image of the 'possum on the moon's disc. The rest was easy. Shall I give one night's experience? We left Ballarat about 6 ill Ihe evening, arrived between 7 and 8 at the farmhouse which was our head-

quarters for the bunt, bad supper, soup, etc., until about 10, " 'possumed" until about 3, got back, and had a good breakfast; started for home about 5, had another breakfast at, say, 7, and .then went straight, to our day's work. That evening saw us in bed early, and sleeping like tops, for tho previous night we didn't get a wink.

1 "Country House's" letter, as readers will see. is one of those happy appreciations which Nature-lovers like to sec. The orchid can be easily identified, I think, by the "Rough Note "—so "Student" calls it, but I don't—appearing among the correspondence. The maidenhair fern showing a young plant growing from the tip is called Asplenium llaljellifolium, the peculiarity noted being thus described byone writer; "At the end of the midrib there is usually a long; thread-like continuation terminating in a bud, which sends down roots and produces a fresh crown afier the fashion of a strawberry plant." Thomson's "Ferns of New Zealand" says of it; "It is the most easilycultivaled species of the-whole genus, as well as one of the most bountiful, and succeeds as well under not, or basket culture as in the open air." The other fern is the Asplenium hookeranium. The "soft, im-mature-looking" object was probably a weta of some kind, which bores into Ihe

earth previously to the chrysalis stage. The specimen found was apparently about to emerge as the imago or perfect insect. Tell your "small boy," will you, "Country House," that, "llagister" says ho is a little gentleman not to kill the bellbirds, t-hough they do sample the apples he would like to have himself later on.

"Alpha's" note seems to me to give a reasonable explanation of the tumbling per-

formance of the hawk. To strengthen or to disprove his theory we must now lind out definitely whether tumbling hawks are old or voung. My note on tho Roderick map was written three or four weeks ago. but want of space has kept it out of print. I can honestly recommend it as a good educational invest-

moni. . "fern's" note on the hedgehog is a very interesting one, and the l.eith Valley young folk must feel happy, at the two discoveries they have made public. wii.it about, the cuckoo? No eggs, no nests, no young, no records? Correspondence not noted will appear next week, as during the past fortnight correspondent and notes upon it t;;.;e up nearly all my space—and more. CORUKSFONDKXCR. Kaikoura, November 5. Dear " Master,"-Hit above, description of tho cuckoo, also the meteorological notes, are kindly supplied by Mr Urwin, lieftd teacher, Suburban School. Referring to niv own notes, I read October 13: We heard the cuckoo for the first lime this morning. His cry came repeatedly from tho trncl:, dark, foliage of an old iuutui. W« walked round the tree and looked up from every direction, but could not get one sight- oi our visitor. This is the fourth spring we have heard him here, under Urewera. X have followed his call into the bush, but have never had sight of the bird. October 21); cuckoo for second time this morning. November 5: Miss Palmer lias heard him since, but ao far I have not heard him again this season. October V: Dull, close, nor'westcrly air, and .cloud Here under Urewera, among the few remaining rimu mid juataa, but few imported birds have penetrated so far into the bush. I heard the migratory for the first time this spring about an hour ago, but he has now left the tro;s to a tomtit and r few fantaila, whoso tweedlc-eedle-cedle-ecdle-eedlc-ec is repeated over and over again. Along the spur 1 saw a thrush flutter from » low tree, and, pushing the branches aside, I saw his (or her) tour blue, dark-spotted eggs in the big, coarse, but marvellously constructed, nest.. What mother care bestowed on that frail tenement. "What ages of natural and prenatural instinct have forerun Jli« making of this house for tho unflcdycd. November 5; While grubbing gorse 1 was rarprised to find a thrush's nest not a foot from the ground. Three necks stretched up from the unfledged bodies. Three trap-like. velloK mouths, like tho proverbial Olive: Twist, JjKter on I heard the quick noisy flutter of n blackbird, s.nd I .found his solitary oaro in a nest 2ft Gin from the ground A nock longer and thinner than the young thrushes' supporting that yellow, trap-like month, Last Sunday we enjoyed a walk on the edge of the bush with two friends who aro Nature-lovers and students They observed that here the mako-mako's notes have not the metallic, hell-like sound they had heard in other places. Yet his notes are liquid and clear abov« the din of leasei, more common birds, Thcj also spoke of the variation of the tui's notes with the seasons, and tho fact of his at times seeming to lose the power of song, ifr —- had travelled these islands from Murihiku fo the Cbathams, and from Invercargill to Taranaki and Auckland, and I trust to meet him again. He spoke of some rock basin of fresh, clear water on one of the Chathams bearing some Moriori traditional legend similar to tho striking of the rook by the prophet's rod when Israel came out o£ Egypt. I had the pleasure of a short interview with Mr Wragge, and found a man devoted to science and apparently a dweller in the. infinite and eternal, and yet not so lost in tho immensities of time and space as to overlook the whelks, limpets, and cockles of this coast, the sea-worn gravels mid limestone terraces about tbe township, the directions and variations of tho winds, or the set of the Fea currents, ily time with him was too brief. I felt that he was a servant of our race, and belonged to science, not to any particular individual— not to be touched by blame or adulation, but rewarded by the zest cf toil —Sincerly yours, Mr and Mhs Irwin and Charles Oscae Palmer

• _ JTa.rton, November 12, JJear Magister,"—Though my numbers come very irregularly it is with keen interest J. rend »lt the letters in your column, mid there are so many new contributors. Just now IS a vcrv busy time with the birds, fl-lid U is delightful to see so many native onoj. flic wcka is very plentiful in the bush, and at night makes such a noise.! \c certainly havo noticed before rain that they cry oftener and londer. Several times wo have seen their bodies by the wayside, as he farmers kill all flint venture near! iesteriray wo saw the biggest flock of starlings imaginable. They wero black against nvHrlf./i grcnt rushill S 'I™° overhead They feed on the urops in |,he [ntLr f°" i lllght "J 11,6 Bnm « !lI!It0 P rHIt, hr H am ' 10 the chalk chils bi the sea two miles distant. The niinah ~ very plentiful, and though the m w.ll i n•" ™ lgS ailtl tni ' sIIOW up nell when flying, it has onlv W-t note Ihey keep by themselves always- not rVrel 6 lraS l like do. lliere are several grey warblers and a pair of fnnta.ila in the garden. The fant-nils retire very late each night,, and perform a fnnny little quick flight high up above the lino trees and then di? 6 down £«io doing (he ~ame thing- femiU times, °tW quietlj slipping mto the trees for the night, line a few m jl M wo s pukekos feeding in the swamps. Thev never even moved when the train rattled

]ibe?nli„J nf' IDS !,cte is tllo in adl ??""?'•, By lle " 1 ,Ma " m a dense patch of bush a mile or two Waifeaws . They have and do h, nX S ° T n<, lhrt tlle >' are bewanine oil Ifl a peg I. The wors t part ; s t ° able o shoot them in the mXgrowti, 0 £ Thov 1 Lv otlli ; ,e u t0 ,eSSen tllcir nikau p!ilms ° Uoni * of 1,10 The kowhai is'in fll |] flowcr _ nnd . to and trco ferns-"?r;!! ni l kaU h , QS - imd mormon, to our South IslwuuSjh • T j" d i f,°, l^? erenl; of tho most striking r«., v ftl Vu '* 85? £f ?T { ? i» ft One t nv t r ' y i v,th » black seed t f ° r t^T roadside. bracken by the tEo " s ' 1 tune.—Yours sincerely, r some Pantasl, | Orrl)i,ia"" OITC f 01K 0N ° R cmiis. ' fleshy rootJ j,ta, s } we eweping and , S. , lho flo>v «sot orchids are H»!,f f y -°* y ancl consis t of six se»Sy aiil-T ft T n° thleC S ° Pals ' * > alike, bu t tho throe petals nearlv a ways V a„.. Th e front petal, called the hp" takes oil queer shapes, as in lady's slipper n'r.' i' °. s "? .™ d sl >' lc ' are Joined in p central column which faces the lip. The lollowiug orchids arc quite common around Dunedm: —EAbixa: Grows on trees, leaves grass-like, flowers in panicles; pale yellow ■is m bud now. Another Earina flowers in autumn and has very white (lowers. riiKLYMiTiu Longifolia: Colour usually blue, sometimes white or pink; petals all alike; leaf solitary. This is probably the orchid someone inquired about. Two orchids very much uliko axe Microtis and Prasothe former has the lip below and the latter the lip uppermost. The flowers are grcemali brown, and should be flowering now,

in grassy places. Caladf.su Lyalmi has a solitary leaf, large white flower, the lip bei%' handed with purple and rough edged; is in bud now. Caladknia Bivolia has two leaves; flowers white base of lip; has two bands of yellow. Ptkkostylis Banksii is in full bloom now; very common on Signal Hill; flowers large, green and hooded; leaves more than one. Corysanthks are spider orchid - with purple flowers, found beside streams. The leaves are round. Gastrodia. is a leafless orchid, slem Ift to 3ft. with dtrly brown flowers; grows in bush and is not easily Been. Should be in flower soon. Student.

* De;ir " Magister,"—l am sending von a. curious little flower which I think must bo an orchid. I never saw one like it before. Do you know if tliey are common and whether they havo a name of their own? inert l are several growing in a clump of maidenhair fern at the edge of our home bush. The maiden hair is a curiosity in jts own way. It sends out very long unbranchcd fronds, and the tips of these fronds seek to bury themselves in the soil. "When they succeed tlioy take root and u new Utile plant springs up. There is another maideu luiir in another bush near here, but it is branched. I send you n frond of each. Olio has a little plant growing from its tip. The shimnj; cuckoo has been much in evidence here during the past six weeks. I wonder hoy/ many of your young readers can reco ; ;«!K« his call. lie givc3 a number of upward, slurring notes, all the same, and then after ;\ short pause, one downward slur on the same notes. At least. I believe that to be vho cuckoo's call. Quite late last night, about U o'clock, I heard one. and I counted- 55 upward notes before the inevitable downward one came. Mr Drutmnond Bays the cuckoo ciianges his call after being here some time. Can you tell me how?

When digging iu my flower beds the other day I came on a neat, round hole, containing a vf-ry soil, immature-looking grasshopper or cricket, I don't know which. It had immense, long, thin feelers. How do they get down there? Are they hutched out, or how procured? I hope I do not ask too many question?. If you have not apiece to answer them, never mind. I am only a grownup. But I luive a small boy who takes some interest in Mature study, and never kills native birds; though he would dearly love to havo a shy at the bellbirds, of which there are scores here, because they cat the plunw and apples, and are so cheek) as to sit enjoying the fruit as undisturbed as if it belonged to them, while you abuse them below. With many thanks for all the pleasure we constantly derive from your interesting columns.—Yours faithfully, Country Mouse. Dear " Magister,"—l see that the question of the "tumbling" of the hawk is being discussed in your column. Several years ago X one day noticed three hawks going through the "peculiar motions known as "tumbling." It was a _ lovely spring day, and the hawks were soaring high in the air. They gave their cry every few minutes and repeatedly turned head over heels. It seemed | to me that they were young birds amusing themselves and revelling in the beautiful sunshine. It is possible, aa one of your correspondents thinks, that the tumbling is dno to a young bird's want of skill in balancing. The fact of there being three, all acting in the same manner, render it unlikely that an injury to the head is tho cause, as "J. liimu" suggests. Alpha. Dunedin, December 2. Dear " Mag-ister,"—l noticed in your counms Inst week and this some references to hedgehogs having been found near Dunedin. Some 10 or 12 years ago, when we lived in Christcliurch, we had a hedgehogi for a. pet. A gentleman who lived not far from us imported a number, and let them loose on his property, and one evening Don (our dog) found one on our lawn. His vigorous barking (no doubt the hedgehog had introduced his prickles to Don's nose) brought father on the scene, and he managed to get the little intruder into a box. In tho morning Don took each member of the family to view his find, and was very proud of it. Jack, as we named the hedgehog, was kept in a iarge box with wire netting over it, and, to the best of my remembrance, was fed principally on bread and milk. He was very fond of music, and a favourite amusement was to put him down in front of the piano, when he would march up and down in front of it as long.as it was played. My brothers used to sling him in a handkerchief to carry him. After some time his box was left open, one night, and Jack escaped. Later on, we .had another hedgehog. but only for a little while. Do you think the ones down here could have travelled from Christchurch?—l am, etc.. Fern.

Ranfurly, December 3. Dear " Magister,"—The undermentioned ■ are the meteorological returns tor the month of November:— Maximum temperature in screen, 78deg, on the 10th; minimum temperature in sorcen, 30deg, on the sth; minimum temperature on ground, QOdeg. on the 6th; average maximum in screen, G6.63depr; minimum in screen, 40.3Gdeg; on ground, 32.4deg. linintall, 1.11 inches on niw days; maximum fall. 32 'inches, on the 2(!u; raintall lo late since January, 15.79 'inches, on S7 (lays. Frosts occurred on 1G nights on the ground and fire nights in the screen. Prevailing wind, N.W.—I am. etc.. A. W. Bodehts,