PATER’S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3592, 16 January 1923, Page 61

PATER’S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

THE WORKER, He worked by day And toiled by night, He gave up play* And all delight. Dry books he read New things to learn, And forged ahead Succecs to earn. He plodded on With faith and pluck, And when he won Men called it luck. * * * * THE ISLAND BUILDERS OF THE SEA. For two thousand years men have sought for complete knowledge regarding .the formation of coral reefs, and the search is being continued. The minds of scientists are still being exercised, although nearly 90 years ago it was thought that Darwin had solved the problem. He believed that the coral was built up round sinking islands, but later investigators, like Sir John Murray, of the Challenger Expedition, have thought thaf this building occurred on land that was actually rising out of the sea, and not sinking. There is a good deal of evidence for both theories, and probably Darwin’s theory is right in some cases and Murray 6 in others. If Darwin’s theory is right there should be a great depth of old coral below the water, but borings generally have not shewn this. The Carnegie Institution of Washington has conducted' investigations into the subject recently, all tending to confirm Darwin’s theory; but Professor W. H. Hoggs, of Michigan University, is to carry on further researches by extensive boring into old coral formations. Coral is the limy skeleton built up from mineral substances contained in sea water bv multitudes of tinv animals called polyps, which are close relations of the sea anemones. The size of the works they construct is amazing, but not more no than the mountain ranges composed entirely of other tiny forms of life. The whole study of coral affords an amusing example of the extreme folly of which wisdom is occasionally guilty. F<y 2000 years wise men declared coral to*be sea-flowers. As such it figures in all the old learned books. The upholders of this theorv were asked to account for the fact that these supposed sea blooms were as hard as rock. - ‘Ah,’” they said, “the flowers are soft as other flowers when in the water, but they instantly harden into rock on coming in contact with the air.” That was believeck for ages, and no one thought to put his hand to a piece of coral growing in the water and prove it for himself; but at last a French fishery expert sent fishermen down into the sea to test if the coral was hard or soft. They returned to the surface reporting “hard.” He could not believe them, so he stripped, had himself lowered into the water, and to his very great astonishment found that coral at home in the pea is as hard as it is when nolished to make a baby’s rattle or a necklace. Two thousand years have at last made this matter clear, but, as Professor Hobbs’s expedition shows, the old fascination of mvstery has not quite surrendered its hold on the scientific mind, and to-da.v the scientist is tanping, probing, and boring again in the waters through which Darwin sailed. * # * * THE, WILD THINGS IN WINTER. When'Winter comes (writes James Dixon in a London paper) wild creatures' are rarely caught unprepared. The methods they employ in the course of their preparations are most interesting. These methods differ according as the creature is perfectly warm-blooded, imperfectly warm-blooded, or cold-blooded. Birds and mammals are the most perfectly warm-blooded creatures that we possess. They are highly organised, and, in addition to a good protective covering, are supplied with an internal heat-regu-lating mechanism of great complexity. By its means thev are able to maintain the temperature of their bodies at the required level without regard to that of the surrounding atmosphere. But these heat-regulating powers, occasionally at least, stand in need of some assistance. The red grouse and curlew supply this bv retiring to a lower altitude. Many birds, of course, migrate until a warmer season returns. The brown stoat has discovered that by becoming the white ermine its cold-resist-ing powers are much increased. It is not an accident that many Arctic creatures are clad in white. Again, the mole, by digging more deeply, achieves the double purpose of getting out of reach of frost and of securing an adequate supply of food. All mammals are descended from coldblooded reptiles. The hedgehog, bat, and dormouse are examoles of creatures which have onlv. up to the present, reached an imnerfectlv warin -blooded state. Their bod>- temperature tends to approximate to that of the surrounding atmosphere. This process would if continued, eventually render impossible the performance of the vital functions. So at the approach of cold weather thev seek some sheltered abode, bank up their internal fires, as it were, and into a state of unconsciousness until the spring. Tbo hodv temperature of such coldblooded rre?,tures as frogs and reptiles approximates morp completely still to that, of their surroundings. The approach of winter therefore compels them to seek a shelter the temperature of which shall not fall below the point at which it is possible for life to continue. But the “winter sleep” of wild creatures Is not sleep at all, and, moreover, has

nothing to do with winter. It is a lowering of the vitality to a point which enables the "creature' to exist with the least possible expenditure of energy. Through the course of ages the habit has become so ingrained in the constitution that many wild creatures retire at the accustomed time without regard to the prevailing weather-conditions at all.