REVIEW.

Otago Witness, Issue 920, 17 July 1869, Page 9

REVIEW.

STHB NEW ZEALAND , INSTITPTB. Transactio7iß and Prowedvngs of the New Zealatvi Institute, Vol. I, 1868. Edited and published under the authority of the Board of Governors of the Institute, by J. Hector, M.D., F.R.S.

Before passing from the consideration bf that portion of the volume which is. devoted to Botanical Science, we cannot refrain from drawing attention to some practical remarkß made by Mr Buchanan, which are worthy of the attention of our settlers. After speaking of the plentiful evidence which remains to Bhow that large tracts, of this province, now destitute of timber, were at no very distant dt»te covered with bush which has been destroyed by fire, he states that in many places nature was, at the time of the first settlement being made here, busy with the work of restoration. With settlement came a new burning of the country. " In 1852," he ssab,y b, "muchofwhat is now the finest grass country, on the Glntha, Tuapeka, Waitahuna, Pomahaka, and Wyndham districts, was covered by an impenetrable growth of shrubs and young trees." Good pasture is a matter of primary importance to the settler no doubt, but this wholesale burning of wide tracts without any attempt; to protect a portion of the young bush, has brought with it disadvantages of whioh those who now occupy the country in question are often made keenly sensible. The fact that no effort has ever been made to replace the bush in any part of the wide districts of the province which are now treeless, is forcibly brought to the mind as we read this. We hear of a few acres here and there being planted with blue gums or with European timber trees. It may well be doubted whether our native trees might not be restored at very much less expense, and in a much shorter time, in suitable localities. It has often been urged that the government of the province should take steps to encourage the planting of timber trees, or should itself actively undertake such work. No one can travel over the naked interior of this province without feeling that this should indeed be one of the first cares of the community as a whole; that it should not be left any longer to the enterprise of individuals, or, as we may well say, to their neglect. Whilst we deem it no part of the proper business of the Government to undertake any such work itself, we feel sure that wise and liberal legislation might greatly promote it, and we do not think there would be any real hardship involved if a certain amount of attention to it were made imperative upon all owners of land. It is not, however, on the wanton destruction by fire of bush only that Mr Buchanan remarks. Although in the oases he refers to, tho burning of the eorub and new growth of timber trees has been followed by a splendid growth of natural grasses, such is not always the case. A large area of the eastern portion of the province may, as we have seen, be described as an arid district, showing by its vegetation that both soil and climate entitle it to be so designated. This district at best enjoy " but a poor pasture of very few speoies " ot grasses. To burn here, is simply to .raste. " Nothing," says Mr Buchanan, " can show greater ignorance of grass conservation, than the repeated burning of pasture in arid districts which is so frequently practised. The finer species of grass, having fine fibrous roots ramifying near the surface, are either destroyed by the fire, or afterwards by the sun and frost ; while the coarser tussock grasses, spear gross, and many plnnts worthless as pasture, havincr largo succulent roots, stnke deep in the soil, and aro preserved. Muoh of the grass land of tho province has thus been deteriorated since ita occupation. It is a fallacy to suppose that grass country re quires repeated burning to clear the surface of the excess of plants, as the old and withered grass forms shelter to tho young ■hoots, protecting them from parching winds, sun, and frost." He adds that it is no doubt through their immunity from these devastating fires that "the most mountainous parts of the province, up to tho line of perpetual snow, if free from buih, are valuable as summer pasture." The papers in this volurao on Zoological aubjeot* aro few in number. Of thoao, j Mr Bullor's Exhibition Essay on the Ornithology of New Zealand is the most important. It if howevor slighter In ita character than might havo been expected from the known ability of the author and hU undoubted knowlodge of hit subject, j A copy of this Essay having reached tho hands of Herr Otto Finaoh, a distinguished Ornithologist of Bremen, he published in a journal devoted to this branch of Natural History tome critical remarks on the Essay, whioh have drawn from Mr Buller a supplementary paper, now forming part of the tranaaoitoni of the Wellington Philosophical Society, W« at© uUa to find * tranila#o* of liter VinwVs p»p#e fj«o given

here. The three together afford a very considerable amount of information not otherwise procurable. We are glad, also, to hear that Mr Buller's promised work on the Ornithology of New Zealand is shortly to be published. No department of Natural History is more attractive than that which deals with the feathered tribes, and there is' none by which the young are more readily drawn to the study of Nature. The publication of a good book on the birds of New Zealand will do more, perhaps, than any other single circumstance to promote the study of Natural History by the rising generation.

No one who arrives in Now Zealand from other countries can fail to be struck with the great paucity of animal life which he finds here. The few indigenous mammalia which existed here before the white man made his appearance, had almost disappeared before any regular settlement of Europeans was made. The only wild animals now to be found have been introduced since Oaptain Cook first visited these shores — just one hundred years ago. Though there is no such singular obsence of birds, yet, both in actual numbers and in variety of forma, New Zealand is behind all other countries in the world as a haunt of the feathered races. Mr Buller, indeed, ventures to call our list of birds a " ' comparatively large one " for the extent of country, because it includes " about one-fourth the total number found in Europe." We are not at all disposed to agree with him, although the list has been extensively added to since the date of his Essay. We need not be altogether surprised that this should be the case when we reflect that, exclusive of the small oceanic islands, New Zealand is by a very loner way the most isolated tract of land on the face of the globe. Our list of birds is indeed a very small one when compared with that of any other country of like extent and variety of climate. Up to the present time the number of distinct species recorded as having been observed in New Zealand is only 163. We include in this estimate five which appear to have been described for the first time in a paper contributed by Mr Buller at the meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society, held last month. The number of species similarly recorded as denizens of the British Isles, or as visitors there, is at least 323. Such a comparison shows at once the important influence which isolation has upon the character of animal life in any country. If we institute a comparison still more strict, and exclude from either list all birds that are more strictly habitants of the sea than of the land, and all mere stragglers, only seen on the rarest occasions, the difference will be found to be still more striking. On the other hand, the proportion of forms peculiar to these islands is far grea/er than we could suppose probable, but for this peculiar degree of isolation. This point has been somewhat slightly passed over by Mr Buller, although it is undoubtedly a most marked characteristic of our Ornithology. Speaking of the birds known to him, Here Finsoh informs us, that of sixty- four well determined land birds only eis?ht have been found elsewhere. No less than nineteen distinct genora of birds aro peculiar to New Zealand. Though some twenty species have been added to our list since he wrote, the truth of his general remark is not diminished. A considerable proportion of these are also strictly peculiar to these islands, and some of the others, though common on the neighbouring continent, have only boen seen as stragglers here. The relations of the birds of New Zenland to those of other portions of that indefinite region called Australasia are cursorily pointed out by Mr Bailor. This likeness, whilst so great a difference as to individual species, and even genora, coexists with it, is a highly interesting feature of our Ornithology. Mr Buller also notioos auothor fact, whioh ho was the first to point out, viz., (t that between the several species of the North and South Inlands, respectively, there is a remarkable and very raanifent representation." Of this ho gives several instances, and there can bo littlo donbt that further reseftroho* will bring moro of thorn to light. The " Saddleback" of the North Island is roplftced in the South by a closely allied apocies differing in colour. Tho Wood hen of the North differs from that familiar to oursolvoi, and thoro are «everaj qimilar instancos amongst even qur oommonor birds ; in morp than one case th,o Maori name* Are tho aanio, although the birds appear to be decidedly distinct species. The curious group of wingless birds whioh form the gomw Aptcryx— tho Kiwia—aro ono of tho prominent poculiaritiea of our avi- fauna. Equally unique is the Kakapo, whioh, though not strictly wingless, naa it« winga io slightly devolopad m to be unable to u«o thorn for flight; A apodal Interest centre* in tho former of th««fl, «• boing tho only extant representatives of thono prpdigioua and extraordinary birds whioh, at no very distant poriod, r»»nyxl over thw« inland*. Ik**, *im other point* worthy ©f

notice in connection with his subject, Mr Buller has rather touched upon than entered into. He expliins, in defending himself against some of the criticisms of Herr Finsch, that "the desire of the Exhibition Commissioners was that the essayists should popularize their subjects as much as possible." Mr Buller, however, fails more signally in his purpose of popularizing his subject than in rendering his essay useful to scientific men. He has neither done one thing nor the other, nor yet hit the "happy mean." Were his work to be done over again, we should recommend him to Mr Buchanan's Essay on the Botany of Otago, as a model for his imitation.

We need hardly say that, beside those already mentioned, there are many other striking peculiarities in the Ornithology of these Islands. But two birds of prey are known to us, a falcon and a sparrow hawk. The scarcity of suitable prey may in some measure account for the absence of other forms, and especially the absence of small mammalia. Herr Finsch expresses his surprise at the absence of any species of fish-hawk on coasts whioh he speaks of as " abounding so in fish." In regard to the fish on our coasts, we take leave to think him misinformed. We have plenty of fish, but only very few of them are of species which would form the natural prey of the Osprey and his congeners. This may perhaps be attributed to the fact that the oceanic currents immediately along the coast line are constant from the South. It ia only the deep-sea fish, which are unaffected by the surface temperature, that can be said to be plentiful in our waters. Of the Kingfishers we have only one form in New Zealand, although the family is perhaps more largely represented in Australia than anywhere else. Notable, too, is the entire absence of the swallow tribe. Since Mr Buller wrote, a* stray specimen of a small Australian tree swallow has been shot near Cape Farewell, and Mr Jollie reports having seen a flight of swallows near Nelson so far back as 1851. But these visitors ar6 not regular ones ; no swallow can be said to belong to New Zealand, even as an established summer visitor. Mr Buller gives a, curious account of the first appearance in the Province of Wellington of the little tiird which we call here the Waxeye, or Ring-eye. It crossed over, h« Bays, in the winter of 1856, for the first time in the memory of the native inhabitants. It made its appearance there again a few years after, and has since become a permanent resident. Ho speaks of it as "properly a South Taland species,'* but asit has been identified witha bird common in Australia and Tasmania, this hypothesis cannot he admitted. Mr Allam reports it also as a regular denizen of the Great Barrier Island, at the mouth of the Hauraki Gulf. Probably it affects special localities only, where the oharacter of th* vegetation is best adapted to supply ita food. Our cuckoos Mr Buller seems disposed io consider diatinok from the similar Australian apeoies, and looks to the islands of the Pacific as their winter habitation. He confirms himself in this idea by reference to the fact that the Maoris have from time immemorial called the Shining Cuckoo the "Bird of Hawaiki." Herr Finsch, who appears to have a very extensive acquaintance with the birds of the South Pacific, says that this bird does not hybernate there. The ! point, however, cannot be considered as settled : ft difference between winter and summer plumage may probably have caused some confusion. Of Pigeons we have only one species, and that by all accounts io aomowhat rapidly disappearing in most parts of New Zealand. The fact that we hftvo only this single form of ao numerous and wide-spread a family, forms A striking point of contrast between New Zealand and the neighbouring continent, which is peculiarly rich in this respect. A similar remark may be made with regard to the FJy-oatchers and Crows, with their congeners. Of our Ducks, six of tho seven known species are quito peculiar to New Zealand. As a contrast to the remarkable absence of somo families of birds, we have no loss iMn nino species 1 belonging to " tho great tribo of tho Cormorants." Horr Finsoh tells us that no land, of the same oiz.o can produco so I many, spooios, whilst thrqo at leant of them 'appear to bo peculiar to thoao islands. 'Tho only papers on zoological subjects, [betide* thoao wo havo tpokon of, are vory short. Wo havo a list of birds, found on Groat and Littlo Barrier Islands, with a few remarks on thorn by Captain Hutton ; ono by Mr Huntly, on lomo of the small beetles, whoso larvw injure fruit trees; notes on hnd and froah-^ater sholls, found by Mr T. B. G\\\\q* during an oxcursion in tho southern wart of tho provinqo o|f Anokland ; and tho report of noin'o remarks mado by Mr Travoraat one >of the meetings of the Wollington Sooiety, on ran special of fish found on onr •oouio. Th» lait of th«M follow* a notice famlilied io the B&efoty by Dr, Knox, of

a Sword-fish which was stranded on the West Coast. We are glad to notice that a fuller paper on this subject has this session been contributed hy Dr Knox, The fact is also recorded that Mr Travera read some notes at one of the meetings of the Wellington Society, on a new Chiton from Wellington Harbour, and on a Fluke taken from a Snapper. It ia very ranch to be regretted that when the discovery of new species in any department of Natural History ia recorded in a volume of this character, a reasonably complete scientific description should not be furnished.