NATURE NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19163, 31 October 1925, Page 1 (Supplement)

NATURE NOTES.

BIOLOGISTS AND EVOLUTION.

BY J. DKUMMONTi. F.L.S., T.Z.S.

The public are alert to loarn something of the life around them in the animal and the plant kingdoms. It is desirable that they .should also know of profound problems which it is the common aim of biologists to solve. A biologist is a steward of the mysteries of Nature, as far as he is allowed to discover them, and most biologists wish to give an account of their stewardship to people who have few or no opportunities to gain that knowledge first hand. One of these stewards is Professor H. L. Wieman, Professor of Zoology at the University of Cincinnati, United States, whose "General Zoology." recently published by the McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, London, deals with the animal side of biology, and makes it very attractive. His summary of the abundant evidence in support of evolution is delightfully clear. Evolution has been the guiding thought of biologists for more than fifty years. They, and many others, accept it as an explanation of past and present conditions of life, because, to them, it is the only plausible interpretation of many biological facts. Professor Wieman sums up the position by stating that scientists accept evolution as a general biological principle. He is more restrained than an eminent English biologist, who, although he does not pose as a proud philosopher, states that the evidence in the animal kingdom amounts to positive demonstration of the truth of the theory of organic evolution.

Not evolution itself, but the way in which it is brought about, is in debate among biologists. This also is discussed by Professor \V ieman, but he leaves it an open question, merely pointing out a common popular error, that evolution and Darwinism are synonymous. Darwinism is only one explanation of evolution. Some biologists disci edit Darwinism; many adopt it as a creed, ignoring Professor Muxlev's warning that when science adopts a "creed it commits suicide. Professor Wienian, wisely in view of present knowledge, does not try to explain the deathless essence that gave life to this world; but his readers, helped by many illustrations, may go all the way with him, along a path he makes a pleasant one, from the protozoa to the radiolarians, the infusorains, the rotifers, the crustaceans, tne spiders and their allies, the insects, the molluscs, the fishes, the amphibians, the reptiles, the birds and the mammals, finishing with the aristocrats of the animal kingdom, namely, the monkeys, the apes and man.

"Mr. F. E. Smith, a few weeks ago, had a delightful note .on the North Island wood-robin." Captain O. W. Schulze writes from Wells Street, Auckland. "He describes my feelings toward the nightingale. From early childhood, night after night, in the season, I listened to that incomparable songster. We lived not far from a small park. Near a pool of clear water at each end of the park the nightingale nested in low bushes. The Romans believed that nightingales tried to outdo each other in song, often unto death. I found that that was true. There seemed to be two colonies at the park, one at each pool. The nightingales did not sing in the day, but at night, particularly on crdm moonlight nights, they challenged one another from the ends of the park. No sooner had one finished than the other began, in, apparently, stronger and sweeter notes, if that was possible. They continued this strange emulation till daybreak. The nightingale is insectivorous. Some observers believe that it mates for life. It has the same plain garment as the sparrow's, but is built on finer lines. It is very inquisitive, so much so that there is a common saving, 'She's as inquisitive as a nightingale.' I have not heard the wood-robin. Mr. Smith's description places it not far behind the nightingale, but there is this difference, that the nightingale sings for hours, the wood-robin onlv occasionally. Finally, he who does not love birds and trees has no soul."

From Papakura, on October 14. Mrs. J. E. Elliott wrote: —"We live on the edge of eleven acres of native bush, which is quite a sanctuary for all sorts of birds. In the early morning it is beautiful t-o hear their songs, with homely turkeys and ducks providing what may be called the organ notes. A pair of tnis have built in the same place for two seasons, and are nesting again now. Starlings, goldfinches, blackbirds, song-thrushes, skylarks, sparrows, yellowhammers. Eighties or white-eyes, fantails and a small bird with a cinnamon brown breast and a blue back, which I cannot name, visit the yard and sing in bushes close by. Fantails are so tame that they roroo inside and sit on the tops of the doors or on the furniture and sing fo us. One summer afternoon a morepork owl called at 4.30 and took mv canary. Some of the songsters are a nuisance, as they take young cabbages and cauliflowers, and strawberries, and the little blighties take figs before they are ripe."

The yellow kowhai was in full bloom on the river bank at Warkworth on October 2. Writing from that place on tb?.t date Mr. M. Hamilton stated : "Many of the kowhais have a fine show of bloom, and tnis are very plentiful. The clematis certainly is not up to last year's standard; it lacks the usual profusion of hanging trailers of blooms. The laughing jackass has spread over the mainland from Kawau Island and is becoming fairly common. It is spreading rapidly, but, as far as I know, it does no damage. Opossums are becoming a serious menace in the orchards. Although other food is plentiful, they bite the bark of apple trees. They seem to take a delight in breaking off citrus fruits. In orange groves they pull the fruit and scoop out the ins id cj with their paws, making a remarkably clean job of it. As other food is ton plentiful, trapping seems to be ineffective."

Wok as are reported to be plentiful at Kaitaia. They are sufficiently impudent to rob hens' nests against Mr. H. S. Matthew's house. On September 26 a family of wekas, male, female and three chicks, two or three days old. crossed the road in front of several peonle, Wekas are notoriously quHc-tempered and are desperate fighters. This was demonstrated when a ladv in the partv picked up a chick in order that a child micrht see it. On the chick squealing the male made a vigorous attack on the lady, rushing at her with ruffled feathers, outstretched M 'ings and open bill, and making a peculiar growling sound in his throat. The ladv drormed the chick and had a bnsv time defending herself, and finally had to drive her assailant away by throwing stones at him.

"Pied fantails are very plentiful in my little bit of bush," Mr. G. V. Govv wrote from Walton, Piako County, on October 13. "I saw one flitting about a barb-wire fence, picking up calves' hairs caught in the barbs. Presuming that it was gathering the hair for lining a nest. I followed it to the bush, and had no difficulty in finding the nest in a pittosporum bush among undergrowth in a swamp. The female has sat on the nest for the past few days."