TO THE EDITOR,

Otago Witness, Issue 2626, 13 July 1904, Page 89

TO THE EDITOR,

Sic —With your kind permiss.on I be--; to make a few remarks on our friend Mi John Ciinstie's epistles on this subject. I -n°s suipriopcl at his statampnt that he doubted tint met eminent zoologist the late Piofes^oi Sir I? i chard Owen's statement tha* the mi>? \va.= of racer t d..te. Piofo^sor Owen knew perfectly llivA tlie m boiie^ s»eut t£ him, liad, vyi-

dcigrmo no chpnuical Potion or petrifaction nf arv kind, r'rl I feel con rick "it that I'c was quite r^hi in hi 3 decision, for thp ioi cvfinsj Kvsur= — I't'ihajw our fiicd I><!.s r.ot caiofuHy r.v. iiuiscd our lignite pits. I have oitej done .-o— in tic Mataura hgiiitj pit-<- win. II u"j i riiiieio.i-5 ;>'.d co"er a i.'i~"i extent of cx.uiti;*, and also Mr B> TiotlciS pit in this ciistrW (South Wyiidhtun). Kow, iv all tue-^e lignup bcxls whit do wo mid? £.o ki uij, Imt &4.vrr biii. n, totai a, raauuka., inbUi, yellow pine, otc. The two last liees ine'ilioaied co; Lun an e,.onnru, quaui.ity of garni, esnecja.ly lll^Hi >o!lo\v ih'.jC. Iya;~go pieces of tins giiuj or re-s'u cai 1 be obtained in any of Ihcso pitb, and '.niter coiupatnig and cxaniuiii'g thib gum carefully with the real kaan giuu, altlicrgu, at iir c t t -i',!i*' io the-, naked 03c, both in co'our and appo:.r nice, they seem the sanie^ yet, \Ylien tieatcd onomioally, there js a coiysiderable cLffcicnce-. ISow, tljesa tae&s aie still growi Ig, =ho',.mg tho climate Li.s not alteiect since thes? lignite pits were formed (excepting ilic pe-iiOui of fojiiVotian). Yellow pic>? is giov.-_ng on tlns> farm, an/i ary»"o v :fiiliuz to do so can tost those foui-d 111 tho pits \;itli the liviiig ones. Sonic of th,e c c pihos f'i-o irom SUO to li,oo yev-, of age. and by the 13luains of old, dacajed' logs of ilio same species, fcuncl in the same bush, maik a veiy longperiod of tmiio since the glacaol nctioii oi xaiodiuJiig these lignite pits took place. In these Ji<;r.ite deposits there never hr.s be&n fouril i.;iy 'wan- bo!ips or any impressuws of their boi'es, neither me vhere KJiy nnrmo remains, conclusively proving that tike moa did not exist l^efo-ie the glacial period, and all able gcolcgis.fc9 vnll conhrrc my statement th^aA these ijgr.He deposits were ma.de by gracial aotion. At "to Ifg-s beipg fcuiid on the tops of high mages, I may say theio is nothing wondeiful ,Ukuc that. thW g:&iv at the pro&e.nt day ?t -v pry huh r.ltittudos in the Laktia district, aK r l I h. o j r '-,a-T in il'c cxr'y sjxLios meny legs < I totai.u birc'a, kaii'Jn, i.ncl broa.ollo^f, and Jii many 11 st.ii'ccs ihe stumps were there also, b.il 1 o kruni. If 0111 friend hrd taken a spa da he v. ould ii-.vc fauaid the loots ev&n where tiie stumps wcrpi rot si'iowJn-g «lxfv» the surface, iliny o!d settlers aie n.ili ahvo who oan cou-fu-m theso iemark=. Ko glacial aotion was required, «s ths tie&s grew wi'ieie tlie** logs w?io found. No doubt both moa. b-ones and t.ees can be found ia many places bunod, pcrhups, hundred.* of feet bslow the surface of the grouncl, bi'.fc these 111 most caces w«se caused by land slips or by liver floods on tlie low lc^ p\. A moa's egg was uiKioubted!y found up ths 'Molyneux rossDbly, but simply buried by a l-arcbalip. Thc&e la.nrl slips are happening M-iy often, especially m such a season aa Otsgo anil >S.outlilaai.€l experienced in '92 wid '93, the cont^r.uoui rains being tho cause. Even iv ayr diftnct I never remsmbar a-iiy till tha.t sea501. I r.;n afraid our fliajid is ha.rf4 to eonveit, and thcn'.g'h a host o£ Maori chiefs a.iose and oonfirrned. oar statement, he -would not believe the truLli, a,s we Qia in his estimation cr.*s - believers in nursery rhymes. As this is my la&t letter on this in t ©re stung 1 subject, I will say gcod-ly>e to our friend, and l&rfve ths "Witness's mimeicu.s and intelligent leaders to deride tha question aa to v-ho is light. — I am, etc.,

Mallcott Richardson, sen. Sf.atau.ra Island, July 2.