JUNE I1, 1914] 
NATURE 
oad 
From the K radiation lines (Moseley, Phil. Mag., 
April, 1914, p. 706), the very penetrating y rays of 
radium B may be expected to have frequencies equal 
to the square of (probably all) integers from P=60 to 
A/2=107, multiplied by 2-4& x 101*/sec. Hence for 
uranium frequencies up to 2-85 x 10'*/sec. might exist. 
Of course, on this view different elements must have 
partly equal 6 and y rays, and the so-called B-ray 
spectra be those of electrons expelled by the f particle, 
and not of the £ particles themselves. 
As “there is also a large group of faint lines be- 
tween 14° and 22° which do not permit of accurate 
measurements ”’ (loc. cit., p. 859), it may be observed 
that 22° corresponds to a charge of 64, so that all lines 
fall within the limits given above. 
trees, the “Kauri pine” (Agathis australis) is 
among the most valuable timbers of the world, 
and though it is still fairly abundant, its distri- 
bution is limited to the northern portion of the 
North Island, it is very inflammable, and it takes 
from six hundred to about three thousand years 
to attain its full size. Besides yielding the valu- 
able copal-like resin which is largely exported to 
the United States and to this country, the Kauri 
produces timber which is unrivalled for ship- 
building and for other purposes to which it is 
adapted, owing, above all, to its freedom from 
knots—a condition secured through the function 
Taste II1.—The ‘ Condensed” Periodic System with (1-70) the Periodic Numbers. 
1Li 2Be 3B 4C 
gNa 10oMg 11Al 12Si 
17K 18Ca 19Sc 20Ti 
25Cu 26Zn 27Ga 28Ge 
33Rb 34Sr Bw! 36Zr 
41Ag 42Cd 43In 44Sn 
49Cs 5oBa 51La, etc. 52 Lece 
57Au 58Hg 59Tl 60Pb 
65— 66Ra 67Ac 68Th 
It would seem that there is no reason, why such a 
structure, though not observable by lack of y, radia- 
tion, should not belong to all elements. But it is 
perhaps not compatible with Bohr’s atomic model. 
With Moseley’s formula for the L radiation A(N—7-4) 
it is not; but if here (N—7-4) be multiplied by 1-008, 
all values for (N—7) are integers (+0-2) also, and the 
same holds for all Moseley’s series, so that, if N=M, 
v=A(M+#n), and n is any number of electrons between 
certain limits. 
A. VAN DEN BROEK. 
Gorsel (Holland), May 19. 
FORESTRY AND FOREST RESERVES IN 
NEW ZEALAND.} 
HE recently-published report of the New 
Zealand Commission on Forestry contains 
much that is of general interest, apart from the 
aspects of the forestry problem affecting that 
Dominion in particular. New Zealand has mag- 
nificent forests, especially of conifers and southern 
beeches, with a present area of about twelve 
million acres. The forest area has been reduced 
by nearly one-half since about 1830, and during 
the last ten years the annual cut has doubled, so 
that despite the steps that have been taken since 
about 1875 to prevent waste and to afforest suit- 
able areas, the forest capital is dwindling at an 
alarming rate. 
Since the New Zealand forest flora includes a 
number of species which are of unusual interest 
as representing the most primitive types of 
gymnosperms, particularly among the families 
Araucarineee and Podocarpinee, it is gratifying 
from the botanical as well as from the economic 
point of view that vigorous steps are now being 
taken by the Dominion Government to conserve 
the native trees, as well as to inaugurate a far- 
reaching scheme of afforestation. Of the endemic 
1 Report of the Royal Commission on Forestry. 
Zealand: John Mackav, Government Printer, r9r3.) 
Report on Scenery Preservation. New Zealand Department of Lands. 
(Wellington, rgr2.) 
NO» 2328, VOL. 93} 
(Wellington, New 
oH—He 
5N 60 7F 8Ne 
13P 14S 15Cl 16Ar 
21V 22 ier 23Mn 24Fe—Co—Ni 
29As 30Se Sue 18ye 32Kr 
7Nb 38Mo 39— 40Ru—Rh—Pd 
45Sb 46Te 471 48Xe 
3Ta 54W 55— 560s—Ir—Pt 
61Bi 62— 3— 64N 
69—- 70Ur 71 — 72— — — 
of an absciss-layer causing self-amputation of 
branches. The other New Zealand conifers, in- 
cluding timber trees of great value, also suffer, 
though in a smaller degree, from this drawback 
of slowness of growth, and it is therefore neces- 
sary to plant introduced trees which are found to 
grow four to ten times as rapidly as the native 
species. 
As we learn from this report, the forestry 
problem is being faced in a systematic manner 
by the New Zealand Government, and forestry 
promises to develop into one of the most impor- 
tant and permanent industries of the Dominion, 
which, though precluded by its geographical posi- 
tion from becoming to any appreciable extent a 
contributor to the world’s supply of timber, can, 
at any rate, meet its own wants, and probably 
continue in an increasing degree to assist Aus- 
tralia, where the shortage of structural (conifer- 
ous) timber is now leading to a steady annual 
rise in the amount imported from Europe and 
North America, as well as from New Zealand. 
About 60,000 acres have already been afforested, 
but this will be greatly increased in the near 
future, since it is estimated that at the present 
rate of consumption the indigenous forests will 
be exhausted in about thirty years. 
While much of the report is, naturally, con- 
cerned -with the special needs of New Zealand— 
a large section being devoted, for instance, to the 
question of suitable wood for butter-boxes, in 
view of the important and increasing dairy indus- 
try—there are various matters of general interest, 
among which we may note particularly the forma- 
tion of climatic and scenic reserves. 
A climatic reserve may be defined as a nature 
reserve selected for the purposes of protection of 
soil, prevention of denudation, water conserva- 
tion, prevention of floods, and shelter from winds. 
In relation to its area, few countries in the world 
are in greater need of an adequate forest covering 
