1920.] Wright.—Bacteriology in relation to Meat Products. 213 
In order that no alteration in the composition of the fat due to heat 
may occur the rendering of the fats for the manufacture of food products is 
done at a temperature seldom sufficient to sterilize, or even pasteurize, the 
material; consequently the utmost care requires to be exercised in order 
to prevent the growth of micro-organisms which might produce bacterial 
decomposition. Certain undesirable flavours and odours have been definitely 
traced to the presence of bacteria, which have elaborated enzymes capable 
of decomposing the fats and the traces of protein substances frequently 
present in such rendered fats. Pure fat is not readily, if at all, decomposed 
by bacteria, but if albuminous matter is present the fat may be decomposed 
by the action of various bacteria and moulds, which derive part of the 
nutriment for their growth from the albuminous material. 
PROPOSALS FOR ETHNOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN 
NEW ZEALAND. 
By D. Jenness, Victoria Memorial Museum, Ottawa, Canada.* 
If we consider the geographical position of New Zealand, its healthy climate, 
its prosperous population, its great progress in all the arts and industries 
that go to make up our modern civilized life, and, alongside of these, the 
presence in its midst of a large native race not fully divorced as yet from 
its ancient customs and ways of life, then we would seem to have an ideal 
centre for the study of all the ethnological problems that confront the 
scientist in the Pacific. Rarotonga, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Tahiti, the Mar¬ 
quesas, and all the other homes of the Polynesian race are within easy 
reach, while New Zealand itself is the home of the Maoris, who in many 
respects are the most interesting of all the South Sea natives. It is only 
natural perhaps that the energies of both the Government and of the people 
should have been directed hitherto towards the development of the country 
as a home for the white race, and that a thorough scientific study of its 
aboriginal population should have fallen into the background. But now 
that the Maoris are being rapidly assimilated into the new civilization and 
are losing all their old characteristics, ethnological research, if it is ever 
to be carried out at all, must be carried out at once. The field of research 
that the Maoris offer is still very rich, but fifty years hence it will be almost 
barren. This statement applies, indeed, not only to the Maoris but to all 
the inhabitants of Polynesia. Other countries have recognized this, and 
both in Europe and America there are specialists who are devoting their 
lives to the study of the old civilizations of the South Seas before it becomes 
too late. I need only mention in this connection the work that British 
ethnologists are doing—Dr. Rivers, for example, in Melanesia, and Mr. 
and Mrs. Routledge in Easter Island. No later than last year the Bishop 
Museum of Honolulu, with the support of various scientific institutions in 
the United States, sent out an expedition to carry on ethnological researches 
for two years in the southern Pacific. Both European and American 
*The proposals in this paper were made by Mr. Jenness at the suggestion of 
the Director of the Dominion Museum, and are here published because of their general 
interest. Work of the kind suggested was commenced by the Dominion Museum in 
1919 (see this volume, pp. 175-76).—Ed. 
15—Science. 
