FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2607, 1 November 1915, Page 3

FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB

A very interesting meeting of t-ha Field Naturalists' Club took place on Saturday afternoon in tlie form of a field excursion to the "Crow's Nest." 'Clie club, under the leadership of Mr. T Ralph, proceeded to Ngaio by train, thence to the foot of the "Crow's Nest," whero a study of the fern vegetation was commenced. Many ferns were collected, both for making individual dried collections and for planting in ferneries some fairly rare ferns being among the number. The fern vegetation is fairly rich round the foot of the. "Crow's' Nest," there being from fche foot to the top about 47 different species. ' Ferns growing as epiphytes on trees are particularly plentiful, and make a very graceful show.. Plentiful, also, is blechnuin filiforme in the adult stage. Besides ferns, notes were taken on the tree and lian vegetation. The remarkable lian parsonsia heterophylla was very plentiful with its remarkable leaf variation .and sweet soented flower. Rewa rewa (knightia excelsa) was also in full bloom. Mr. Ralph, during the tour, gave an interesting description of the condition of the area traversed about SO years ago. Then, he said, it soemed almost like an act of sacrilege to put a foot down/'as in so doing invariably some of the minute filmy ferns were crushed. It was a process oi picking each footstep so as to ensure as little crushing as possible. Since, however, cattle had been allowed to roam at will through the bush, the ferns had rapidly become less and less, and unless something was soon done that particular section of New Zealand's beautiful fern vegetation would in a few years become a thing of the past. The excursion, though the weather was very threatening, was well attended and was most enjoyable.