OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14784, 17 March 1910, Page 2

OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN

FOR SENIORS AND JUNIORS. (Conducted by Magister, lo whom all communications must be addressed.) [Magister. will be giad to receive Nature notes, marked papers containing educational articles, diagrams, details of experiments, etc., of scholastic interest to teachers and pupils. Correspondents must use o.N'i.v o.ne side of tho paper, and whether using a pen <»me or not, must send both name and ADDBESS.] FROGS AND TADPOLES AT WOODHAUGH. Dunedin, February 28. Dear " Magister,"—Now is the limo to observe the habits and metamorphosis of tadpoles. Tho other morning, a bright, sunny clay, I waa watching them in the pond* in the Duke street reserve, where they are in thousands. Look anywhere iit the pond and the water literally swarms with them. They can easily be seen from the path which runs round the pond, but one cannot get close to them on account of tho netting. # They aro of all sizes; souto no bigger than a nea, while tho largest are the size of a. broad bean if it were rounded instead of fUt. In the majority of the larger ones the hind legs are well developed, and are carried stretching out behind as the animal swims. But one or two—and these not the biggest tadpoles—had already got the forelogs as well, and were in tho stag© known as tailed frog, All the animals wore swimming close to the surface, and I noted it few that put their.noses up into the air; but as a rule they seemed to keep about an inch or so below the surface. The water-weed bad'thrust, un its curious bifid flower sialk, with tho sweet-smelling white flowers on the inner, faces of the fork— (what is its name?); the flat oval leaves formed shelters from the sun under which tho tadpoles seemed to hide, but tho majority. wore swimminit aimlessly about. I was standing close to a toi grass, and the plume of flowers hunjr over tho poird. When the wind blew it. rsther suddonly aside, those tadpoles ' that • wero in the path of its shadow were evidently much disturbed by the sudden movement, for i they quickly'swam away downwards, diving '; downwards' out of tho reach of this tori rible thing. Tho younger ones and those | nearer the surface. 'were more strongly i affected'than the lawr or more deeplyj lying ones. I It was a most pleasant iand_ peaceful 'spot; one would not have imagined that it was close,to a busy town, .for there was not a human soul beside myself. Over tho water flew tho larger kind of dragon fly, while darling amongst the tadpoles we're little water beetles. And while. I stood there watching I heard a rustic in the toi bush, and, looking down, I saw two bright little black eyes in tho head of a little long, brown body. No isocnrer did the weasel see mo than ;it hurriedly.plunged into 'the'toi. thicket an'd;-disappcawd. If all theie thousands'of tadpoles reach maturitv, Dunedin will Tie overrun with frogs, mml the'inhabitants of Woodhaug.i will bo deafened by their c.oaking.-YouTs, ,-jj ■ ' Natup.ai.ist. [The above was unfortunately crowded out last wtek, but. I , suppose that tho changes from tadpoledom to frogdom are still going on. The sub-editor has kindly lmwkil to me the following he noticed in the Timaru Post:-"And the frogs came up and covered the laud of Egypt. An Otaio resident likens the numberless presence of frogs in that and St. Andrews, districts just now to the plague of Egypt, Vul 1» 'does not fear the', consequences Nevertheless, he is of opinion that millions J.' j J vii mi'ist, have come to life in'lira poirt!-i surrounding Otaio this season. The place is literally alive with f.hem, and at early morn and, in the evening the toads and' roadsides arc strewn with little green fellows, who leap quickly aside as anyone or anything approaches, A child a few days ago gathered 26 in a few minutes. One authority on the subject state's' that the frogs are migrating to the high country, and that this heralds a flood in probably a low weeks' time.] FORTHCOMING NOTES. I have in type or ready;— 1. No North, no East, no West. 2. Navy-'League Note. -;3. Hife' of To Kauparaha.' ' •'• • ■'•' ~;♦. The Neglected Art of Plain Reading. . .5. How to' FiriiTthc'Geographical 'Men-" ,',.' dian. , . , ' . ; ' ' "6. Notes on the Ahglbmeter.' 7. How do you pronounce "My"? kindly ■ written for me, at my request, by Mr A. H. Burton. 8. A note on a new editor for students of Thackeray's "Henry Esmond" (Oxford University Press). , 9. "A Ramble on Biverton Beach," by' ."Alpha," with a note added by my- " .'self.,.'...■■ •; ,:'•: ■'■'; .:■: ■.-:.■ . ■.. Thk:.is;->just, a ''selection. :More,'to- follow —if I.can find r'eem !',i -,'„■■?■': •!.',' . ' ST. PATRICE'S DAY; ;'■' ''! . Do.you believe-in keeping, up the Saints' Days'; It' depends upon circumstances, 1 suppose. 1 think it h pleasant to keep .them in ; memory, at snyrate, but school- j boys would like the memories of our patron saints kept by getting holidays. One gentleman X knew does not believe in such nonsense, he' says: There is one saint's day lie would keep thougli'-St. George's Day, but that is because it is St. IViliiim's Day, that is the birthday and deuthday of Shakespeare as well as St. George's Day. It is April 23, isn't it? I had intended writing a.note upon St. Patriot, but instead of that I shall refer you to a penny booklet, " The Lite of St. t'atrick," !)v Cardinal Aloraii—il it is procurable here. Three other books I'll recommend here:—"St. Patrick of the limeraid Isle," "St. Andrew of JJonnv Scotlaud," and "Stories of tit. George and St. David." These I picked up in tho Bible Depot. They are picture books at 6d or Is, I. am not certain which now; but though picture books, they are interesting for bovs and girls. Bythe-bye was St. Patriok a Scotchman or a l'renchman?

THE HOY SCOUTS. I wish "Tussock" had not notified that nis letter ._ not for publication, for ho tells mo in his inimitable manner that I was a little too severe on Major Cossgrove. Ho suggests that I use two rapiers and not the bludgeon, and adds emphasis to his remarks by drawing these instruments on a liberal scale. Then he draws a man—or boy— willi Boy Scout hat on, peering through a tussock-is it "Tussock" himself?—looking straight at me as if saying , "I've my .eye on 'you!" Finally, he has a large Scotch thistle,' under which is the legend " Nemo mo impuno lacossit." Does ho mean that no one sits on me.without being hurt, or on himself? Me, I amagine— by the murderous bludgeon. " Tussock,'' as an old campaigner, refers to some of Donald Macdoiiald's notes reproduced in these columns, and says they do not always suit us—using gum leaves, for instance, for beds.' That maybe, but why not have sent along a note saying wliere my notes were "wrong, and whit could be substituted'/ I want all good notes possible, Then he says, "You know your instructions about putties were not good." I didn't know anything of the sort, for I thought that Donald Macdonald, who had weathered the siege at .Ladysmith, and who was a wot correspondent, was a good enough authority. "Tussock" adds, "The average man, in my experience, hates wearing them, just because lie will not take the trouble to put them on right. There are three ways of putting them en (that 1 know, there may be more), but the best " tip " 1 have ever been given is. to mark each puttie "L" and "K" for left and right, and' always wear them the one way, They' will fall in. place then easily, and comfortably." The last part is, I think, a very gocd. suggestion. '•Tussock," too, is under a misapprehension about what I know of the Girl Scout movement in New Zealand. Miss MacGeorgc is well known Lome, and I know she had the movement in operation here. I published the .account of what was being done in New South Wales because it stated in definite terms what, the rules and regulations were, and I had not seen anything eo clearly intt regarding our New Zealand organisations. In any case, supposing I had, we are all the better for knowing what is being done elsewhere. I wish that "Tussock" had not barred publication of his letter, for its Ureezinoss, oniphassed by drawings, would have made it entertaining. You see, he and I arc chums, so we shan't fight—besides, he's 100 big! In "The Scout" I see that there is a heading " The Scout's Diary," and for last October the following appears:— October is the month of nuts. . Wild fruits abound in the hedges—hips, laws, sloes, blackberries, and many berries not at all gocd to eat, like those of gucldor, bryony, nightshade, holly, privet, ard mountain ash. Nuts and acorns are the food of many creatures this month—mice and squirrels, pheasants, rooks, wcod-pigcons, and jays. Many swallows- have gor.o to Africa, following the swifts; those that haveclayed late now dcpitti

Eat some of the martins still tend their young in nests under the caves of houses. If many birds go, many also como to spend the winter with us; fieldfares and redwings now come in from Scandinavia, and many skylarks come from the Con- . tinent, with woodcock, snipo, duck, .geese, • and the tiny golden-crested wren. This month you will notice the sparrow Parliaments in the tuts— chattering hosts of excited birds, making a tremendous noise. Many other birds bagin to pack into flocks'for the wint.-v. like finches, peewits, starlings, and pigeons. Robins sing their autumn songs. Very few sorts of wild flowers remain, though you may liud some knapweeds, ' harebells, and thymes and mints. , The leaves turn colour, but they will not be falling yet in the open country. Winter sleet, begins to overcome many creatures. Snails creep away into the ivy ' leaves, and tlic tortoiseshell butterfly retires lo a dark corner. . Can our Scouts be persuaded Jo carry out a''similar id-a? October corresponds to April. And this reminds me of a. story told me by a New Zealand inspector. Say the boy's name is Tommy and tho school in.Timbuctoo, and remember these are the only fictitious statements in the story. Tommy's Nature notes were the delight of his teacher, and were always on exhibition when visitors arrived. They were not very g'ramatically expressed, but showed- a wealth of observation for a lad of Tommy's age. The inspector came, and Tommy's book was trotted' out. It was Tuesday, and the entry had something like this: Monday—Seen a. cuckoo robbing a wren, .etc. But something possessed the inspector to tumi over fno following page! and the next!! and the next!!! The observational notes, with a large amount of circumstantial detail, had been entered up a week in advance! A' fact, That boy will become a;; politician. .> " NOTES ON CORRESPONDENCE. • I bog " Ornithologist's" pardon. I had tho pleasure of hearing Dr Fulton's illustrated lecture on tho shining cuckoo, and hope to have it in permanent form. I am wondering if Dr Fulton will have a spare copy that ho can let mo have to circulate among my readers. I'must ask ; him. Once before a paper of his circu- j luted among a few interested in bird life, j The white gentian flower sent me, Mr j Thomson says, is Gentiaiia bellidi'olia. It i flowers from. January to March, says ' Cheeseman's " Manual of New Zealand, Flora," and flowers Jrom 1500 ft to 5500 ft ; above sea level. I'll give a fuller note soonl;' The plant with the stalk of beautiful reddish Ho were is Gunnera flavida. The ' fruit is a small' drupe, and t'-i genus is named after' a Swedish bishop and botanist. This also I'll write a note upon and get in as soen as I can. Like the previous plant, it has an interesting history. : ".Beta" is a new correspondent, and ! welcome. I haven't seen tho fungus yet. ! Perhaps it became " very high " in transit, ; and. was unceremoniously shot out. The ' note on' wood lice is interesting. I have heard of rats and mice actina similarly in j moving dainties. The children's Encyclo- j pedia I have heard spoken well of, but I j have not examined it. | .'• Tussoek," as will be seen elsewhere, j thinks 1 was severe on Major Cossgrovc, • but nncfchcr correspondent writes: "I con- j sider your remarks mest justifiable, and think the major might benefit by reading ' The Art of Thinking.' " | I am sorry I have not been able to i continue my notes on " Climate "—I have i f.hreo short articles written; but I'll tako j the subject up again. The records pub- i lishcd to-day show that Ranfurly isn't long ! without frosts, for frost was an the ground j on five nights in February, aiid t the tern- j perature was down to 30 twice. Notice, < too, the pretty heavy downfall on February j 26. _ ! "Green Tui's" specimens and letters | wore misplaced.. Will she duplicate the ; specimens? i owe an apology to my Tapanui correspondent of a fortnight ago. - The woim he sent was not a I'hreoryctes nicnkeani'os (order, Oligophasia), a group of worms sparsely brisiled, but a thread worm belonging to the order Nematoidea. Of it the "Royal Natural History" -say's: — '■ The family of hair-worms' Gordiidte owe their' English name to the resemblance that their long, black, slender, flexiblo body beans to a hair from a horse's mano or tail, and their scientific name, Gor"(lius, to the peculiar habit the animals have of untangling, and entwining themselves in a- way .that may bo compared.to a Gordian knot. . . . Although living a free life in the adult period, these worms spend the greater part of their ■lives up lo the last period in certain insects. The young hair-worms, as they, issue from the egg. are scarcely more than ono twenty-fifth of an inch in length, and mast curiously shaped; the body being cylindrical, and consisting of a thick forepart and v a--thinner tail-like appendage. Out of the fipnt/biid pf the,, body a sort, of head ; ''can.' : -be-,thrust,' which 'is armed with tvfo clfcleJ- , of'--.-'Sniallv'hook6, and: tipi>ed witlt'>'ihot'iiy..ppobc3ci9.i-.With those' instruments .the creatures, :.iii the first' place, bore their, way' through tho egg-" shell, and. iwiiiigjuailu' their';.escape, lie quietly at the 'bottom' of the'water without appearing to wander in search of a host. .Insects, however, in the adult and larval stages abound in most fresh waters, and' sooner or later the young worms como across them. They then seek out a, soft spot, bore a hole by their apparatus of hooks, and by a series of contractions and oxpaiisions oi'tho body, force an entrance between the inusolc ; iibres of tho limb, ;whence they spread ; nto tho body-cavity .of their host. [Ait illustration shows two that had effected an entrance into the foot of the larva of a may-fly.] They also infest in this way water-bugs and gnats. All these water-insects, however, are liable to be'devoured by fresh-water fish, and by this means the young hairworms are set free in the intestines of the fish, where they undergo their metamorphosis, and after five or six months pass into the water in their mature form."- The query arises, Can these larva make the human being their host? If they can, then tho water of Whisky G'dly will want to bo fortified with usquebaugh, or be rendered innocuous in some otner way; I have given fairly full details to atono for my error.

The i red pod -parasite-from Molyneux Bay,' was 'it?—is called Lironcca nova zoalandite. The one sent is a male. The female is very much larger than the male, and has its legs modified into claws the more effectively to hold on to the skin of the ccxl. In this, case the female is decidedly the better half—at anyrato judging by the size, for.she is several times larger. The male, besides being, much smaller, has not its logs modified as in. the female. The Museum specimen shows clearly the hook-like form of the legs— a score of them, more or less—in the female, and the comparatively insignificant male clinging to his consort. A common name for this parasite would be fish-louse—it is about two inches long, though—and it is allied to the "slater." Mr G. M. Thomson, F.LS., M.P., gave me an interesting explanation of how these became known as Lironcca. One of the early workers among crustaceans was a scientist, a Mr Ijeach, who had a wife, called Caroline, and when he was stuok for names for new genera he rang the changes on the lettcre of his wife's name, so wc have Cirolane, Lironeoa, Ncrolica, Rooinela, and perhaps others perpetuating her name. Many a wife would ha-vo objected, I am sure, to have.her name associated with such objectionable live stock.

CORRESPONDENCE. Dear " Maeister,''—lt is some time since I worried you with a letter, so here goes. In one of your columns a correspondent, took me to _ task for being asleep, or for not having teen mucli in the bush, etc., as otherwise I could not have failed to have heard the bell-like notes of the tui I wrote to you about. I lived really.in tho bush for the first 20 years of my life, and as a boy was known to be very obWvant. and an extra good tree climber (thoiurh I say it myself). The tuis in some localities do not always utter the bell notes, and other residents at the Taieri confirmed what I said, and mentioned that tho bell notes were common elsewhere, particularly at Lake Wakatipu. I made no wide statement as to the prevalence or otherw'se of the notes, only that in the particular'piece of bush, about £0 acres, whore I had spent many hours, the birds were giving utterance to notes which I had not heard before, and that other people living there agreed with me as to its being a fact. In ■your correspondence notes you'say of the shining cuckoo that it i 3 a bird about which very little- is known. Surely this is a mistake, as a- long paper was read ' at the Otago Institute last year by Dr Fulton, and a host of interesting information was presented for the benefit of hearers, gee Trans New' Zealand Institute, where I presume the paper will.in due course appear. How long any bird lives is hard to determine one has had it in.,captivity. I should think most small birds live anywhere between- five and' 10 years.' Parrots and cockatoos Jiavo been known to live for ,ver. 20 years, TJje little brown birds jeep

by "Mahara" were most- likely brown creepers (Finschia nova zcalandire), which have habils and call much as described. It was'very hard luck that both eggs of the cuckoo turned out duffers. Never mind, look out next year. And here let me give your renders a piece of valuable information. A gentleman from one of our suburbs wrote and told me lie tad eggs of the long-tailed cuckoo and would bring them into me. Ho did not give n-c permission to publish his name, so in the meautimc I withhold it. Ho arrived indue course with a nice little collection of eggs in a box. I immediately picked out the two cuckco egg*, which were identical with the one in die Museum. I'was astonished to find he had had those eggs foi' nearly 10 years,' and had also had others which lie bad given away. The eggs we're fiMind in nssts of thrush, hedge sparrow, and green linnet. This, is splendid news, and vni year I am going to hunt in every imported bird's nest lean find, and I shall be surprised if I do not very,soon 1-ave soir.e cuckoo information for .you. J. M'K. Miller's cuckoo might not be the Suine bird which visited him before. It is no more wonderful to find a particular tree in Otago than it is to find the. islands of New Zealand ill the Pacific Ocean. Ornithologist. Macetown,' March 10. Dear - " Magistcr,"—Repeatedly have . I almost mado a resolution to take; upon myself the;honour of swelling your'band of "scientists," or, perhaps, I should say Nature students. May 1 say that I look upon " Magistcr," " Alpha," and "E. F."' as special ''Nature" friends, and, being aware what • really good sorts Nature students are, I feel this friendship is (perhaps unconsciously) reciprocated. As for " Magislor," from a young schoolmaster's View—well, I find him almost indispensable! Under separate cover I am forwarding what I take to bo a fungus. It was brought to mo by one of the residents of this place, who desires to have it identified. It was found in a locality ' 3000 ft (app.) abovo sea level, and in a damp situation. I 'should certainly not prescribe it to bo used as "smelling salts!" ...... Concerning the books on astronomy which you recommended last week, may I say that I found Peck's "Southern Constellations" most helpful, and, with yoji, [ warmly recommend it. Next to Peck's I have no hesitation in mentioning "the •'Children's ■Encyclopedia." . It is really excellent. I .certainly advise all young teachers to get it. Such a store, of knowledge and ideas, embracing literature, art, science, poetry, etc. 1 ■ Oh, " Magistcr"! have.. you ever watched the wood.lice carrying chips, etc.? On ono occasion have J .been fortunate enough to see them. One night, after having hunted tho moths with my- lamp, and .capturing nothing of real, value, I turned my lamp on the ground, and, with a fellow-bughunter, we examined 'spiders, sings, caterpillars, wood lice, and "creeping things innumerable." After watching the wood lice for a few moments we were astonished to see one .on its back,/ warmly embracing a small chip, and being pulled along, Pledge fashion, by two of its mates. They were quite entertaining. Is there not another insect that adopts the same method of transmission? Thanking' you for the information and host of ideas that 'I have received from you,-I am, yours faithfully, ■' Beta,

■ "■ , . Port Molynoux. Dear "Magister,"—The enclosed plant I' found among' some grass that was sown last season. The plant is strange here. Perhaps you will kindly, give me some information as to name, etc, if plant is known to you. Another yellow Weed 'I do not know has become most plentiful in this part of tho-country. The plant is somewhat after the appearance of enclosed, only that it has single 6teni; and its flowers aro like tiny antirrhinums. ' It seems sad, to see so many of the.old familiar native plants and birds giving place to the imported rubbish. The blackbird's song is beautiful, but both he and the thrush are such notorious thieves that one listens with a feeling of resentment, and. although Scottish to the core, I sincerely wish the blackbirds still whistled in yoii thorny den (in Scotloml). The blackbird green tails usually come in autumn, and sin" most beautifully among our trees. But as yet there is'no song but the chirping of sparrows. The linnets are. devouring some p.idrlocks of uncut oats. . Thanking you in anticipation of reply,—l am, yours truly, ■ :■, i . ■ . Ghees. Tm.

. , , /.".Croydon, ..February. 28. . Dear " Masistcr,"-I enclose the weather' records for the month—Yours truly,' Jessie Masson.

Rainfall, 2.15 in on seven days. ' Highest rainfall, ,I.sin on 25th; average maximum temperature, 67.28d0g;.' maximum"' 5 temporatui'°- 82(leg_on 23rd; average minimum, 46;78d0g; minimum tenmerature, 42deg on 7th, Bth. 15th, 25th. Winds, west to northwest; strong easterly .gale on 13th.

Gladbrcok, March 1. Dear " Magister,"-Tho< rainfall for 'February was 156 points,., and rain fell .on five. days. ■ The maximum rainfall was 109 points on the 27th. The maximum tern- , pernturo was 94dcg on the 18th,' and the minimum temperature'was 35deg on the 17th. .The average maximum-temperature' was 82.25, and the average minimum temperature was 45.5. I read your returns,, but absence from home prevented me-from sending in my returns sooner. lam sorry if it has inconvenienced voii.—Yours trulv, Alex. D. M'Kikkos."

Ranfurly, March 2. Dear " Magister,"—The following are the meteorological records for tho month of February:— Maximum temperature in screen, 87deg on the 6th; minimum temperature in 36deg on the 16th and 17th; minimum, tern-, pcruturc on ground, 30dcg on the Bth and 16th; maximum temperature' (average), 75.75d0g; average minimum temperaturo in screen,- 46.28deg; average minimum temperature on ground, 39.9Cdc)?. ' Rainfall, 1.85 in on three days. Maximum, l.Min on the', 26th. Total rainfall since January,

4.37 in on 11 days. Frosts occurred on five nights on the ground. Prevailing wind, S.W.—Yours truly, A. \V. Roberts. Wairoa School, Hawke's Bav, March 1. Dear " Magistcr,"—The following were the rainfall records taken at the Wairoa School during the month of February— I'ebruary 1, .44in; 15tli, .62in; 16th, .72in - 18th, .01m; 19th, .Olin; 24tli, .07in; 25th ■48m; 26th, ,27in; 27th. 1.68in,-total! 4.oUiii. Urrespoudmjr records for former i™" ! 7m b Ty' 1907, 3 ' 76in; Fcbn " ir i-. 908 2.37; -February," 1909, 5.55 in. The total rainfall for this year up to the 28th of February has been 8.62 in. • • Jons Bowie, 8.A., Head Master.'