OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN

Otago Witness, Issue 2928, 27 April 1910, Page 85

OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN

FOR SENIORS AND JUNIORS.

(Conducted by Maoisteb, to whom all com' munications must be addressed.)

EMPIRE CORRESPONDENCE.

A fortnight ago I published a letter from a lad in Western Canada, and this week I am favoured with one from a girl in a London in miniature —on the Thames, too, and having London names for streets and bridges. It is rather curious that it should come to a miniature Edinburgh—for Dunedin is only another name for Edinburgh —on the Leith, and also having its streets and many features with Edinburgh names. The letter is the outcome of a laudable desire on the part of the girls of one of the upper classes to make the Empire celebrations on May 24 a really live, patriotic function; and I hope the idea will catch on here and receive the support of the Victoria League. The children of to-day are the citizens of to-morrow, and they cannot have too much of patriotic sentiment instilled into them. The letter was very sensibly addressed to the Principal of any English School, Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand, and was sent by the post office officials, to the education office. Mr Pryde then sent it on to one of our teachers who interests himself and his pupils in Empire history, and he in turn has seen that an answer has been t sent. Indeed, he has sent a "syndicate letter, several children taking a topic each. The letter was written on February 21, and as it did. not reach its destination until April 8, it is problematical whether the reply will get back in time. Let us hope it will. 1 wonder whether Dunedin boys and * uu V o"i ld Write *° the var i°"s Commonwealth States and to Cape Colony, and see it replies can be got for May 24 here' Here is Florence's letter, published practically as received: 589 Richmond street, London, Canada, i/r j , February 21, 1910. My dear unknown Friend,—ln our school we hope to celebrate Empire Day (May 23) by reading the leplies to our letters which we are writing to all parte of our great British Empire. Be sure you answer in good time, as last year some of our pupils did not get their letters until too late tor the entertainment, and I hope I am making no mistake in choosing you for my correspondent. London, the city in which I live, is like its great namesake situated on the Thames Kiver in the County of Middlesex, and many of our streets and bridges are named alter theirs. We have over 50,000 of a population, including over 9000 school children. Our school is the Talbot Street school. It contains nine rooms and a kindergarten, and has nine regular teachers, also art and music teachers I am m Grade VII (next to the principal's), and my class standing is No. 19 out of 47 Our studies include reading, writing arithmetic, grammar, music, geography' history, composi'tioin, art, literature, spelling, and physiology. We have been learning about the British possessions, which has warmed our hearts towards all Britishspeaking children. London has wide, paved streets, firstclass _ drinking water, excellent electric lighting, splendid police and fire protection, three public- parks, over 40 churches, ■ numerous schools and colleges, a university! which includes musio and arts, and many charitable institutions. Our Victoria Hospital is very famous all over Ontario. ' In Canada we have four seasons—spring summer, autumn, and winter. My favourite season is summer, because then we can be out-doors all day long enjoying our picnics and out-door games. In summer the thermometer registers 95deg and over, while in winter we often have 20deg below zero. I could write volumes about our beautiful city, but shall reserve something for my next letter, »vhen I may send you newspapers and views, etc., which will give you an idea of our rich agricultural country, our market being one of the best in Canada. Now for some personal news. I am 15 years old, and there are two children in our family, of which I arn the eldest. My father is a confectioner. The subject which I like best at school is grammar. What is yours? ' My favourite game is' basket ball. What is yours? I attend the English Church. It is called St. Paul's Cathedral, and it is the oldest church in London. At the last anniversary it was 77 years old. When you write, be sure and tell me about your city and your family, also about the school and church you attend. I am very glad to know that we both live under the same flag amd have the same King and the same laws. —Your sincere fellow Briton, Florence Mason. P.S.—Enclosed you will find a postcard.—F. M. I have suggested writing to the Commonwealth States and to South Africa for letters for Empire Day. Ask also that papers containing Empire Day celebrationis be sent, and le . me have the interesting bits for publication; promise, too, to send Otago Daily Times Empire issues in return.

METEOROLOGICAL NOTES.

I am sorry _ I cannot give this subject the attention it deserves, *or among other sources of information I should like to make use of the monthly bulletins sent out by the Rev. D. C. Bates, Director of the Meteorological Department. This department does not receive the Government aid it should, though statistics gathered by it are invaluable; but because there is no direct return the director’s efforts are very much circumscribed. Get the bulletins, however, and study them. What is the value of an opportune downpour, and, on the other hand, what is the damage done by an inopportune downpour ? Again, what amount of damage done by an inopportune downpour is due -.to deforestation, and what amount could be avoided or minimised by afforestation? Apart from this there is the amount of permanent damage done by deforestation allowing soil denudation to take place. By a cablegram this week it appears that a good downpour was worth £300,000 to the cotton plantations of the United States. A glance at our r'Sccrds to-day will be interesting. The rainfall at Ranfuriy for March was less than half an inch, and lees'"than five inches for the year so far; but at Wairoa, Hawke s. Bay, it was nearly 12jin for the month, and over 9in fell in less than three daye. The ■ highest daily record, however, does not reach the 6in of Taihape. I am sorry we cannot compare

temperatures, for CL» Wairoa instruments wer< destroyed, when the school was burnt. Bu*t«fls'.i already shows 17deg of frost, while frost at Wairoa, I suppose, is a comparatively rare occurrence, even later on. But Ranfurly is a little behind the 52deg of frost mentioned in the Canadian letter appearing elsewhere. . Ranfurly, April 4-. Dear " Mag-jster,' —The following are the meteorological records for the month ofi March:—Maximum temperature in screen, 83cteg on the Ist, Bth, and 9th; minimum temperature in soreen, 18deg on the 29th; minimum temperature on ground, 15deg on the 29th; average maximum in screen, 66.35 deg; average minimum in. screen,; 40.03 deg; average minimum on ground,

31.45de-f' rainfall, .49in on 10 days; maximum, . ,4in on th© 20'<‘ • rainfall to date, sine® January. 4-.86m Y. 23 days. Frosts occurred on seven nights in the screen and 16 on the -ground. Prevailing wind. S.W. — Yours truly. A. W. Roberts. Wairoa School, Hawke’s Bay, April 1. Dear “Magister,”—l have much pleasure in lonvr.rding you the following school records ; Rainfall: March 5, ,02in; 6th, ,01m ; lltn, .o4in ; 12th, .04in ; 13th, .Olin : 17th, ,06in ; 21et, 1.28 in ; 22ud, ,54in; 27th, ,03m; 28th, ,53in; 29th, 2.32 i n; 33th, 4.07 in; 51st, 2.40 m. Total for the month, 12.45 in. As a result of the heavy rain of the 28th to the 31st, inclusive, the river is in heavy flood, bridges have been swept away, roads are blocked, and much damage has been done to property and stock. The total of 9.82 in for tour days, or 9.29 in for two days and a-half—Tuesday evening to Friday morning—is something of a record in this part of New Zealand. Total rainfall tor the year 1910 to the 31st March, 22.07:n. Previous totals for March: March, 1907, 3.29 in; March, 1908, 12.46 in; March, 1909,5.28 in; March, 1910, 12.45 in.— 1 am, etc., John Bowie, 8.A., Head Master. Croydon, April 4. Dear “ Magister,”—l enclose the weather records for the month —Yours faithfully, Jessie Manson. Rainfall, 225 points; highest rainfall, 100 points on the 9th; average maximum temperature, 61.68; maximum temperature, 82 on the Bth; average minimum temperature, 45.1; . minimum temperature, 34 on the 20th; very strong west wind on the 24th; prevailing wind, W.; first snow of the year on the Hokonuis on the 21st. Gladbrook, Middlemarch, April 2. Dear “ Magister,”—The rainfall for March was. 69 points. Rain fell on eight days, and the miximum rainfall was 15 points on the 3rd. The maximum temperature was 96 on the 2nd, and the minimum temperature was 28 on the 28th. The average minimum temperature was 73.87, and the average minimum temperature was 40.61. There was frost on four mornings.—Yours truly, Alex. D. MTCinnon. CORRESPONDENCE NOTES. This week we have correspondence from Sumatra; Canada, Auckland, Wairoa, Hawke’s Bay, and several places in Otago, besides a paper from Sydney with a marked reference to the Boy Scouts. Some Sydney friend has kindly sent me the Royal show number of the Town and Country Journal. By it I notice that the Boy Scouts formed the guard of honour at the opening ceremony, performed by thfc Governor-General. 'The show was visited by 226,000 persons, and the takings amounted to £9Bso—figures which would have been exceeded had it not been for a downpour one day as folk were getting ready to go. Wouldn’t our society’s officials rub their hands with glee to see such numbers ? Allison Fairbairn (Highcliffe) sends me a lizard for identification. It is the long-toed lizard rejoicing in the name of Dactylocnemis granulates. “Animals of New Zealand describes it as “greyish, or brown, above, with dark brown yermksulations, and irregular cross-bands, which are lightly edged in front. . . . Toes not much dilated, and no trace of a web . . . length up to seven inches and a-half, of which the tail forms more than half. . . . It often changes its ground-colour of grey to a pink-red; and this it does sometimes three or four times in a day ; the cause, howevgr, of its doing so is entirely unknown to me. I have often tried by altering its position as to light, and to sun heat, and also by giving it a little gentle shaking to see if I could cause it to change colour, but I have never succeeded. It seems to be entirely dependent on itself, and not arising from any outside cause, nor from the time of day, neither is it regular in its changes.” Allison’s teacher tells me that it had made short work of a few flies; but one gentleman writes that he tempted two he had with flies, but that the lizards remained as passive and emotionless as a sphinx, and that one had not eaten anything for six weeks. “ Blue Spur ” sends along some Nature notes worth reading. .Like Oliver Twist, I want more. Who can answer the honey query? Mention of rabbits suggests the following from Nature Notes in the Argus on rabbit-catching:—“ ‘ M. St. B.’ (Foster) mentions a plan of catching rabbits which he has often tried in summer time, when, as a rule, they leave the burrows and make open-air forms like a hare in tufts of grass or other cover. As a rule three boys work in company. When they see the rabbit in his form on© boy walks slowly round to th© right, and a second to the left. Th© third, with a short stick crawls towards the rabbit, and when near simply knocks him over. With a little practice it can be done nine times out of 10. and camp boys will find it good sport. The rabbit seems to fix an eve on the bov on either side of it, and does not notice the one a.poroaehirig in front.” Perhaps some will try to grow date stones in greenhouses. Here is a wrinkle I got from Mr Fitzgerald, the ex-sohrol inspector. He has a greenhouse, and bo protects his delicate plants on frosty nights by putting into the house the pan of hot ashes from the grate or range, and that arives sufficient heat to keep frost away. Further, a little sulphur sprinkled on the ashes fumigates the house and kills off a-phides, etc. Try it. and let me knowhow it succeeds; but be sure that the hot ashes do not set fir© to the greenhouse. The moth sent by William M‘Millan (East Taieri) is called Dasypodia eelenophora. It was described two or three months ago, and as I have so much matter I want to use I cannot x-epeat the details again just yet. A oorraspondenfe draws tny attention to th© flights of Insects prevalent rust now. What are they? Turnip blight known as unhides, or small flies. Tiro exceptionally dry and fin© season is responsible for an abundance of insect life. Erio Armstrong (an Emnsdale lad) sends a larva or grub of one of the boring grubs, but at present I cannot give any satisfactory description of it; but where- _a haw>rn hedge is being injured by this grub I advise all failing twigs to be cut away piece by piece until the grub is arrived at and destroyed. Someone—l have misplaced his notesent me two sharp-nosed beetles. They are called Rhynchcdes ursus. They cam© in a matchbox, and with a piece of bored, wood. Will the sender say if he found them in this wood? If they were, it was “«■ unusual place for them. Some eggs

were also sent. Why not imbed some in what they were found, keep damp, and watch developments? I'll try to get fuller details one of these days. I have it on my "little list"—rather a big one, however. "Interested" (Portobello) writes: " Along with this letter I am sending a box with a black beetle in it. I have been told that it is a cockroach. Could you tell (me what it is and how to get rid of it? They have become a great pest in a house belonging to a friend of mine, and she asked me for information. I enjoy reading your columns very much, and have noticed that questions from old and young are received. Prom the answers and other items I have often learnt something new, and hope I am not trespassing in asking these questions." [l'll try to identify the beetle for next week. "Will readers please let me know methods of ridding houses of these pests? Perhaps the U.S.S. Company's methods of fumigation will apply, I'll find out what these are.] CORRESPONDENCE. Lebong Soelit, Benkoeien. Sumatra, North Indies, Feb, 8. Dear " Magister,"—No doubt a letter from Sumatra will be rather unusual among your regular correspondence, but as I don't see any boundary fences to stop me, I take the liberty of poaching on your preserves, partly becaue I wish to express my hearty appreciation of your columns, and of the good work you are thereby doing; and also because I should like to bring forward two or three matters which seem to me to deserve notice. Since leaving New Zealand, my native land, nearly two yaars ago, I have found the Witness a very strong link between m© and my old associations; j but your pages have afforded me special j pleasure, serving in no small degree to ! stimulate my iiking for natural history, and incidentally confirming many of the observations I made when— a mere youngster —I wandered about in the beautiful West Coast bush, and, in later years, when I scoured the hills and valleys round Dunedin. Situated, as I am at prese'nt, in a somewhat inaccessible and isolated part of Sumatra, where the educative advantages and recreations of a city life and denied one, I j find my love of Nature the chief source of I enjoyment in an otherwise rather colourless life. Readers of Darwin's " Voyage of the j Beagle *' may remember his reference to the intense pleasure he felt on first setting foot in a tropical forest (Brazil). Such a pleasure was mine on arrival in Sumatra. Once _in the grateful shade of the forest, one is conscious of an indefinable thrill. Everything pulsates with life and the jo> of living; the vegetation seems almost to grow before one's eyes; the very insects move as if under an invisible electric influence ; the sense of novelty is paramount : and yet one feels strangely at home, for the forest is very much like what one finds at its best on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. Take your airship—if you have one, or, failing that, harness your imagination, and take a trip to that lovely spot, the lower reaches of the Clinton River at the head of Lake Te Anau. For the beech trees and others substitute a dozen new orders of similar size and beauty, cover them with mosses, ferns, creepers, orchids, and as many more epiphytes and parasites as you can find; plant palms a.nd foliage plants amidst the undergrowth: leave the tree-ferns—they ; will hold their own; then people the trees j with monkeys and squirrels, the air with birds and butterflies, the ground with things creeping innumerable; change the climate to a perpetual summer, with a daily range ,of temperature from 70 degrees to 90 degrees Fahr, and you will be in South- . West Sumatra without the trouble and j expense of the sea voyage ! I should first like to speak of the peculiar ! phenomenon that Rusken describes j ("Modern Painters." V., Pt. VI., Ch, IX., I par. 9) in connection with the pine tree. ; (He remarks that Shakespeare noticed it, — ; I must confess my ignorance on the point). ! Ruskin's words are: "When the sun rises behind a ridge crested with pine, provided the ridge be at a dis- ! tance of about two miles, and seen clear, ; all the trees for about three or four degroes on each side of the suh, become tree 3of light, seen in clear flame against the darker sky, and dazzling as the sun itself." Now I frequently noticed just such an effect during the winters of 1900-1907 when living near Reefton (Nelson, south district) When the sun rose behind ridges crested with —not pine—but beech (so-called birch) trees, on clear frosty mornings, the effect was dazzling. I should be very pleaded to have some of your readers confirm this [ if they can. Perhaps "West Coaster" has observed the effect. Her letters give evidence of keen observation. Several references have been made to ; the mason fly, or wasp, by your correspondents. This interesting little worker appeared about Eeefton in larger numbers I than usual in the summer of 1906-1907, j building his cells in every conceivable corner j and crevice, including the folds of curtains and hangings inside the house. At the | assay office of one of the mines we placed | teat tubes in odd nooks, and had the satis- : faction of seeing several made use of. thin . partitions of clay being inserted at interj vals inside, and the intervening cells being I filled with semi-defunct spiders. The tubes j furnished an excellent means of observaj tion, and when the young erubs hatched out J one could easily watch them feasting on j their unlucky victims. Some cells were 1 built in the folds of an overcoat left hanging on my verandah, and one day I noticed the arrival of a mason fly carrying a large spider. I carefully' 'drew" the coat 1 together so as to almost close the opening to the nest, and when my little friend i essayed to enter, he found the snider was , fust too big to go in. After trving hard to pull his prey straight in, he turned it j S'deways. then endways, then upside down, j then round again, but still without .success. | He persisted in his efforts for mute two | minutes, when suddenly n bright idea struck j him, and. placing himself across the open- { ing. he braced his bnck against one side, and his legs against the other, applied a little pressure, and the next instant had shpoed his precious burden through, with. I should fancv. & smile of triumph on his small face. I freauently noticed what huge | load? these little, fellows carried, their flight j being quite slow in conseauence. If Count ; Zeppelin could build his airships to carry I proportional burdens, he would be a force | to be r.-ckoned with at future Defence Con- ! j Reverting to the "Voyage of the Beagle,"

Darwin comments on the peculiar chirpins: sound sriven out by the horse's hoofs when travelling over sand in .Southern Brazil, and mentions a special ense fin Chili I think) of a hill of pand which g&ve out quite a volume of sound when avalanches of sand were set in motion. In

our numerous excursions to St Clair and Ocean Beach my brother and I often noticed the chirping made when walking on or kicking the sand. If I remember right, it was noticeable in dry sand which Had recently been washed by salt water (I'm open to correction on this point), and 1 ascribed it to the presence of salt, which, I thought, would tend to make the sand "tacky.'' Perhaps some of our young friends can enlighten me. Readers of the book I am quoting from will remember the spider of Brazil which, when disturbed, shakes itself and its web so rapidly as to become almost invisible. We have here a "daddy-long-legs" (forgive me if lam too technical!) with handsome, if somewhat slender, piebald legs, which, when approached as he stands on the wall, shakes nimself to and fro so fast that the eye can scarcely detect him, the piebald tending to become a grey, which harmonises with his surroundings. It is evidently a protective measure. Could space and time permit, I might go on indefinitely describing the local fauna and flora. What would your young readers say of a centipede (is it?) seven inches long, half an inch thick, with 128 pairs of legs —a most handsome fellow, whose steady passage across a floor is a thing well worth seeing, chiefly because of the rhythmio unduiatory movement of the legs.- What a bootmakers bill bis must be, and one dares not picture the worries of his sisters when they make him a set of pyjamas. But, perhaps, I might describe some of the local beasties and flowers some other time, if such should be your desire; but I recognise that New Zealand correspondents have first claims on your space, which is limited. Your columns, however, arerousing such universal interest that, I venture to think a time will come when you will demand —and get—an extension. How interesting and instructive, too, would be, say, one page of illustrations devoted exclusively to natural history as touched on in your notes. I wish the proprietors of the Weekly Press, for instance, could realise the intense pleasure it gave me to see the beautiful photographs of New Zealand flowers in their Christmas number. I r sure that such illustrations must tend lsiderably to foster a love of Nature in a- young people, and they may also round us that the camera is a splendid companion in our Nature studies. Suppose we come across a beautiful spray of native clematis ir bloom. Which is the better course —to ruthlessly pluck it and take it home to die in a few hours, or to leave it to gladden the hearts of all who see it, taking home on a sensitive plate a picture which will later be a source of never-ending interest and pleasure to us and our friends? In concluding, I should like to say that it will give me pleasure to help you in any small way, if you should feel disposed to call on me, though I am afraid I can give little more than my hearty moral support. There is one point I am not losing sight of, and that is the deep interest we all feel in our migratory birds, and, being near the probable route of the godwit and long-tailed cuckoo, I naturally have kept a keen look-out for them during the 16 months of my stay here. Unfortunately, I must confess I know nothing of the godwit, but am familiar enough with the cuckoo to be certain to recognise him should I come across him. There might even be a chance of seeing the bronze cuckoo, unless it confines itself to New. Guinea. You must distinctly understand that I am not a naturalist. I know no more than many of your younger readers and correspondents, but I am willing to learn, and. thanks to your columns, I find my horizon .videning rapidly week by week. And just .one thing more: I want to thank you for your notes on books. You know, with such, a vast choice nowadays, it really is at times a most difficult matter to know what one should read, and I'm sure there must be a very large reading public, who, like myself, will accept your guidance with gratitude and confidence. I have just seen your list of holiday books. Might I presume to suggest these four additional ones:—" David Harum," "The Virginian," "Letters of a Self-made Merchant to His Son," and "Old Gorgon Graham"? They are so wholesome as to claim unanimous support. Wishing you a rich harvest in your chosen field. —I remain, yours very truly, G. Aubkey Gow, A.0.5.M., A.T.M.M. The " chirping" sand I have noticed: myself on the Ocean Beach. Where the sand Ls smooth and with a slightly caked surface, or very dry, when walking try the effect of lightly "skating" the sand with the back part of the heel, elevating the toe to get the proper effect. I have heard Dr Marshall, professor of geolcgy, describe musical sands, and perhaps this is an approximation. I had the pleasure of walking up theClinton canyon early in the new year, and the stroll along the track carpeted with beech (birch) leaves, with the trees forming an avenue miles long, is a walk to be remembered. "G. A. G.'s " remark about destroying the clematis flower reminds me that a flower-loving friend of mine once said to m© that he wondered how the gentler sex could be so cruel. His words were called forth by some young women passing by trailing clematis sprays, and variously decorated with the same flower already drooping.