NATURE NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16408, 9 December 1916, Page 5 (Supplement)

NATURE NOTES.

BY J. DRUSIMOKD, T.L.S., F.Z.3. I Mb. E. Maxwell, of Opunake, has never regarded the common North Island rata, Metrosideros robusta, as an epiphyte solely. He states that as frequently,. if not more frequently, it is a terrestrial plant. His observations lead him to believe that the determining factor is the nature of the surface of the ground. He explains that the seed of the rata, like' the seed of most of its allies, the gums, is very small. Millions of these seeds are shed, and all except, a very few are washed in too deep to germinate. Where the surface of the ground is almost impervious, and on rocks, logs, and stumps, especially the stumps of old pungas, rata seeds find safe lodgment, and rata -trees are found in great numbers, growing from the ground, or practically from the ground, possessing true trunk- and roots, and not root-trunks. But if the surface of the ground is soft, or is hard, but porous, all the seeds will be washed too deep, and the rata will be found as an epiphyte only, because the seeds will be held in positions to germinate only in the forks of limbs or in the cracks of bark.

Mr. Maxwell does not think that the kauri's habit of shedding its bark prevents the rata's roots from clasping the kauri, and thus accounts for the kauri's almost complete immunity from attack, but that the shedding of the bark casts off the young seedling ratas before any roots, except very minute ones, are thrown out. The exceptions, probably, -would be in a branch fork, where a small piece of rough bark remains pinched between the stem and the limb. He adds that there are many failures in efforts to raise gum seedlings, simply because most gum teed, which is very small, should be sown on a well-beaten surface, and should not be covered, but only beaten on to the surface.

Many other correspondents in the North Island have recorded observations of the * rata's habits in relation to the kauri. Mr. H. H. Luke, of Epsom., states that in the M&itaitai district, about, eight miles from Clevedon, he saw a rata which had not been able properly to grip the kauri it attacked. Although it had sufficient support to enable it to rear itself, there was a space of 2ft between it and the kauri. In this (case the rata's failure to grip, he thinks, was due to the kauri's habit of - shedding its bark. Mr. Luke agrees with * the Rev. W. J. * Elliott that the kauri is the rata's "toughest problem." Mr. J. E. Flecher, master at the public school on Roto Roa Island, reports that he has seen - ratM attacking kauris at Amoaeo : Bay, " Command el Peninsula. He favours the " theory that the kauri, - by shedding its bark, often prevents the rata from grippiny. In addition, there is seldom any decayed vegetable matter in the fork of "a kauri, and the rata seedling does not have much opportunity to thrive there. In ■ support of this, he states that -few- ; epiphytes of any kind are found on kauris.

About seven, years ago, when. Mr. D. Loughlin, of Thames, was manager of a mine in the Tairua district, he -saw on the main road a large kauri embraced, -by a ' rata about the thickness of a" map's leg. The rataprobably the rata, vine,; Metrosideros florida climbed the kauri for about 30ft, but somebody had severed the climber by a blow with an. axe. Mr.- _ Loughlin describes a kauri forest on the--road to Neavesville. When he was in the J district a contract was let for - bringing ' down the giants, and he often thinks of the experience it was to pass through the forest before it fell under the advance of utilitarian ideas.. In the kauri . forests" ' of the " Far•North"' Mr. A. R. Heaven, of Lower Riccarton, near Chrisichnrch .

has seen several instances of ratas growing on kauri trees. To demonstrate this, lie has sent a * photograph' of a rata 'clinging to an exceptionally large kauri trunk. . The photograph was taken in the Wai- • mamaku Valley, Hoki&nga, about 25 years '* ago. In carnival week this year Mr.-> Heaven' and his brother spent their holi- < days at Mount Torlesse, a peak in . the - Southern Alps, and on the 'wooded slopes of the mountain they saw several native - birds, including the rifleman wreu, the ..... bell-bird, the sparrowhawk, and a single , tui. They heard several keas.

A small, grey, flat spider has been - under observation by Mr. J, Brake, of ; -i Cheddar Hills, Pakotui, North-Auckland. He describes it as " the hunter," on account of its habits. It seems to be able ->* to move with equal case in any direction ? —forards, backwards, or sideways. One - day he saw it crawl into striking distance of another spider, which was intent on making its web. The hunter advanced - so gradually and so silently - that it seemed hardly to be moving, but with one pounce it had ' a death-grip of its prey, - which succumbed • immediately,' - For ■ a long time Mr. Brake— believed that it- • made no web, but when he pushed a. specimen off a stick it set its spinnarets in motion, instantly made a piece aof web,. ;*• and deftly lowered itself safely to ' the ground. "Some time ako," Mr. -Brake - ~dds, "I saw several individual tuis in- -' the forest, about a-quarter of a mile apart, perched high. Each uttered the same set of notes—to my ear no sharps or flats,' all 7 ? 'natural notes. I presume that they were male birds, hanging about while the females were sitting. As they are not acting and singing in the same way now, I presume that they are busy attending to . their young."

" Just a line, although somewhat late in the day, to let your readers know that shining cuckoos are very plentiful here this season," Mr. C. H. Vickers writes on November 7 from the Government survey camp, about ten miles from Cambridge, Waikato. "I have seen quite a number of them recently,'" he says. " I have been here for only a short time, but I find that they were seen here about September 24 or 25. I have also seen a number of bell-birds, and tuis arc fairly plentiful. I have heard a few magpies here, but up to the present time have not. seen any." ...

Mr. 0. Caldwell, writing from Apiti, in the Wellington province, states that recently he saw an exceptionally handsome bittern in a stream close to his house. It is the first he has seen in that districtWild ducks are plentiful in the district. - • There are a few tuis, and some fan tails' "

and grey warblers The little white-eyes are becoming quite rare in that part. The site of Mr. Caldwell's home is about2u/Ji't above sea level, and he thinks that the cold atmosphere may account for the absence of mynahs, which are plentiful in. other parts of the North Island.

A specimen of the white-flipper ed penguin is reported from Little Akaroa, Banks' Peninsula. It is a small ponguin,- , belonging to a species that has pot. Seen recorded in any part except the bays of ''* the peninsula. A specimen wandered for« some six miles up the Avon into Christchurch some years ago, and was caught " and placed in the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society's gardens, where it died. The adult members of the species are noted for their courage in defending their young.