NATURALISTS’ FIELD CLUB

Evening Star, Issue 22367, 17 June 1936, Page 2

NATURALISTS’ FIELD CLUB

CUTIHG TO SHfiILL'S BEACH Despite the cold north-east wind, some 15 members enjoyed the usual fortnightly outing _ ou Saturday, the afternoon’s objective being Smaill’s Beach and the headland beyond the beach. At Tomahawk Head a short halt was made to search for ranunculus reccns. Kanunculus acaulis was found to bo plentiful, but only one specimen of ranunculus recens was seen. Near Smaiir’s Beach the grotesque forms of the manukas, the flattened shapes of the ngaios, and the tortured, twisted branches of the solitary totara bom eloquent testimony to the strength and persistence of the wind in that locality. The prevailing greyish-green of the lupin-covered sandhills was illuminated in many places by the brilliant orange berries of the poroporo (solanum aviculare). The shore convolvulus (calystegia soldanella) was found to be growing plentifully on the sandhills. The headland itself proved to be an interesting place for the study of coastal vegetation. The lower portion of this headland, which was once a veritable garden of native flowers, has been cultivated within recent years. Apparently cultivation has not proved profitable, for many places are now completely bare, except for withered masses of fathen. It is interesting to see how the native vegetation is re-estublishing itself. As yet mesembryanthemum australe is the only plant that is growing there successfully, but Cook’s scurvy grass (hepidium- oleraceum) is creeping in from the edge of the cultivation. The cliff margin was found to be still the homo of many native plants, Cotula dioica covered large areas, cotula coronopifolia being also present. Masses of selliera radicans and of* the native primrose (samolus repens) grew abundantly, the latter showing a few late flowers. Other plants noted were apium prostratum, tetragonia trigyna, senecio lautus, sonchus asper (the native sow thistle), salicornia (glasswort), pimelea prostrata var. erecta (this plant being in flower), linum monogyuum, veronica elliptica, olearia avicenniaefolia, a few stunted plants of discaria toumatau (matagouri), and one wiry, twisted, almost leafless muohlenbeckia. Of the ferns the only one noted was asplenium ohtusntum. Many of the plants in this exposed situation showed their adaptation to their windy environment in their flattened habit, and in the smallness of their leaves. FISH TRAPPING, At the indoor meeting held on Monday evening Mr George Howes gave an interesting lecture on ‘ Fish Trapping.’ Mr Howes stated that fishing dates back to the earliest records in man’s history. The most primitive man must have been a dweller by river and sea. Before ho kept animals or cultivated the ground his food supplies were limited to the infrequent killing of animals and birds, the gathering of nuts and fruits when in season, roots from the ground, and grubs of insects, but his mainstay available at all times was the fish and shellfish of the shores. We live in a land which was in comparatively recent times inhabited by a primitive people. If we consider the localities of the Maori pas and kaiangas we must note that all were within easy reach of water, and most of them alongside the sea. The rivers and lakes provided largo quantities of food, but the sea was a never failing source of supply. Man undoubtedly clung to the sea shore as a permanent residence, unless driven inland by some stronger tribe. In his most primitive state he soon learned that the receding tide left in the pools fish which were fairly easy to secure. Largo shoals of fish churned up the water in the shallow bays, and but few came to his hand. These must have been an incentive to the slow working of primitive man’s mind. Where a barrier of rock or sand held water as the tide fell he found fish. Why not make more pools or larger pools? A line of rocks and stones formed a better barrier than Nature provided, and the fish trap was invented. Then, again, a mass of fallen bushes in the stream attracted his attention, and he pulled it out to find it sheltered crabs, crayfish, and small fish—all valuable as a food supply. It was obvious that bundles of brush placed deliberately in the stream would provide similar catches, and so wo have the second fish trap. Then we can imagine some stalwart thinker realising that by combining the brush with the rock barrier a more effective barrier would result to prevent the fish which had come in with the tide going out again with it. The success of this barrier would induce greater use of the device, and continuous use would lead to improvement. We find that all primitive people used, and still use, a barrier trap, which is generally formed by driving in stakes to enclose a fairly large area. The stakes are interlaced with pliant branches so closely woven that, although the water can drain away as the tide falls, the fish enclosed cannot escape. A trap of this nature has several disadvantages. First, it cannot be built too high, as it is necessary to allow the fish to swim over it at high tide, and they are liable to swim back over it before the tide falls; second, fish trapped behind the barrier were taken by predatory birds and animals unless the trap was constantly watched; and, third, the whole community had helped in the erection, and if only one or two fish were taken, whoso were they? An improvement was thought out, and this consisted of a series of trap baskets which wore fastened to openings in the fence. Individual right was thus established, and the fish were protected from predatory birds and animals. The system vyorked well, and with various modifications is still in use. Setting fish traps has - proved most successful close to the shore, whore the rocks are half-un-covered at low tide. Here, where the seaweed grows in long strands and the sea rushes through channels between the rocks, a constant supply of fish is procurable by this means. One typo of trap used at Portobello was a long cylinder of tin, with a gaqzo end, and in this was inserted a funnel of wire'mesh. This was .baited, and although it did not catch fish, the results wore very interesting; as, when opened, it was swarming with hundreds of fish lico of all sizes. The fish lice aro not taken in larger wire meshed traps, but tho skeletonised remains of< the fish bait used there aro a vivid reminder of tho immense numbers of fish lico that act as sea scavengers. Fishermen often find in their nets that are set overnight tho empty skin of what was once a plump fish, and they generally blame tho blind eel or sealing for destroying tho fish.’ Local conclusion is that crabs or soa lice are the culprits. Mr Howes proceeded to deal more fully with the various typos of fish traps and the setting thereof to secure specimens for the marine biological station at Portobello. A supply of fish for food is necessary for tho inhabitants of tho tanks, and a good deal of this is obtained by trapping. Several photographs of fish and a number of illustrations of fish traps and col weirs wore shown on the screen, and at the conclusion of his address Mr Howes was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.