Philosophical Institute of Canterbury'. 69 



la this paper, which was the special business of the meeting, the authors give an 

 account of some investigations into the radio-activity of the Ohristchurch artesian 

 system, and find that all the wells examined contain radium emanation in considerable 

 quantities as compared with waters exammed by Curie and Laborde (O.R., vol. 142, 

 p. 1464) and others in Europe. 



To ascertain whether any effect upon trout was to be ascribed to radium emanation, 

 inquiries were made and experiments conducted which show that the Ohristchurch 

 water is fatal to a large proportion of healthy fish if these be confined near the outflow 

 from the well ; and that in a considerable number of those not dying, pop-eye results. 

 Neither death nor pop-eye supervene if the water has run a short distance in an 

 open channel. Experiments by the authors show that the radium emanation escapes 

 very rapidly from the water. iLarsh and Gorham (1904 ; "Report of the Bureau of 

 Fisheries," p. 345) ascribe somewhat similar effects to an excess of nitrogen ; and an 

 examination (at the request of the authors) of the gases contained in the waters by Mr. 

 G. Gray, F.G.S., shows a slight excess of nitrogen over the saturation amount. The 

 authors contend that it is still an open question. Experiments made by the Acclima- 

 tisation Society with the authors show that the death of trout-ova in the hatching- boxes 

 fell off as these were removed further from the well, in a manner similar to the decrease 

 of radium emanation. Further experiments are in progress. 



The paper was illustrated with lantern-shdes and diagrams, and also with 

 specimens of diseased fish. 



A long discussion followed, in which the following took part : the Presi- 

 dent, Drs. Chilton, Gibson, Moorhouse, Evans, and Talbot, and Messrs. 

 G. Grav and Kuhn. 



Fifth Meeting : bth August, 1909. 

 Present : Dr. Charles Chilton in the chair, and over a hundred others. 

 Netv Member.—Mv. F. S. Ohver. 

 Mr. Edgar F. Stead then delivered his lecture on " Bird-hfe in New 



Zealand." 



First of all he exhibited a number of skins of birds, including those of the kea, 

 sparrow-hawk, and rifleman. He showed, too, the skm of a curlew stilt, the third he 

 had secured in New Zealand. This bird, he stated, bred in the Yenesei Valley, and 

 came here in the summer. The last specimen he obtained was still in its winter plumage. 

 " Here is a knot," the speaker continued, exhibiting a specimen with a brilliant breast 

 and other conspicuous markings. " He is in his evening dress, which he wears when 

 he goes courting, and it is quite an elaborate get-up." 



After exhibiting and describing the bird-skins, he showed a large number of slides 

 illustrating different phases of bird-life. The first of the slides depicted a colony of 

 terns in tlie R?.kaia River bed. These birds, he said, began to arrive early in October, 

 and finally settled down on the shingle-bank thirty to fifty thousand strong. About 

 the end of October they went up the river to select breeding-grounds. They displayed 

 marvellous discretion in choosing spots not likely to be flooded by freshes in the river. 

 The nests were built of small pebbles of a colour which strongly resembled the tintings 

 of the young. From his own observations, the lecturer concluded that these birds 

 would devour any eggs not in the nests. Another peculiarity was that, while the adult 

 birds contented themselves with " silveries " found in the river, they went out to the 

 sea for sprats for their young : probably the sprats were more nutritious. A picture 

 illustrating the tern's sailing flight was displayed, and the lecturer pointed out the 

 remarkable resembla,nce of the bird in that attitude to the monoplane. 



Keas, he said, inhabited high country, showing a preference for localities with scrubby 

 bush and shingly mountain-slopes. Tliey stayed in dark valleys, and emerged at nights, 

 or when anything excited their curiosity. There was no more inquisitive bird than the 

 kea. He would come within a couple of feet of a stranger, and pick at his boot-laces 

 to see what they were made of. Of all the birds he knew, the kea was the most amusing. 

 Five of these iater&sting birds he had in captivity would throw up tins merely for the 

 inn of hearing them rattle when they came down again. He also showed a lantern- 

 slide depicting a kea standing on the edge of a rock with a sheer fall of 1.50 ft., dropping 

 chips and pebbles over the face in an ecstasy of whimsical delight. Another picture 

 showed a male and female kea on top of a stump, and the female scratching her mate's 

 head with her beak. 



