NATURALISTS’ FIELD CLUB.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19002, 26 October 1923, Page 4

NATURALISTS’ FIELD CLUB.

EXCURSION TO DEEP STREAM. Oil Monday (Labour Day) a number of enthusiastic members spent the clay (or as much of it as the railway time-table would permit) at Deep Stream. On entering the Gorge the train itself seemingly assumes a holiday air as it threads its way leisurely along the winding bank of the Taicri River. To the holiday-maker the pace is rapid enough, affording as it does time for admiration of the enchanting glimpses of the rugged scenery which come into view Willi every turn and twist of tho line. The nervous passenger, gazing from the window at a sheer drop of -some hundreds of feet into the river or some creek bed, would [doubtless desire it slower still, for have not wandering cattle a penchant for straying on to tho railway lines, and a collision with one of these, on rounding a curve where the view is limited, may have consequences too alarming to be contemplated. Tho realisation of such visions was, however, on the day in question, luckily avoided by the trespasser being sighted in time. Discussions (hero will always be whether this line should have gone by this route or by any of half a dozen others, but sufficient for the traveller is the fact that the scenery en route is beautiful enough to keep one continually on the look-out for what is ahead. An idle day is not the object, of Ekdd Chib members, but when whole-clay outings occur provision for the maintenance of physical vigour has to be considered, and a catnip site was selected by the splashing waters of tho stream on the northern side of the viaduct. The day was perfectly line, at least the camp •site was perfectly sheltered and the sun shone down with generous warmth. The vigorous waving of tho vegetation on tho skyline of the towering ridges undoubtedly indicated (lint nil was not so serene up there, but the air of the Central is dry and bracing to a degree that is unknown nearer the coast.

'Hie busy angler, up to his knees in the cooling waters of tho "Deep” Stream, or sitting upon a sheltered ledge of the rugged bank, was very much in evidence, and an occasional glance his way suggested that hie patience was rewarded rather than tried. It. was a icgrettab.c fact that tho entomological section of the club was not represented for lire bright, sunshine brought forth many beautiful moths and the large bright butterfly, Red Admiral, was plentiful, as also were ants, weevils, crickets, grasshoppers, and various flics. Bird life was not very prolifico, but the ever cheery notes of tho grey warbler made the sunshine merry. Hedge sparrows and tomtits were seen, and the tense agitation of a funtail indicated that the party had camped in the vicinity of her nesf, but no one was unkind enough to make any further intrusions upon her private property. A nest containing five eggs was undoubtedly that of a blackbird, though the identity of the owner was. not discovered. It was noted that in the structure of this nest no mud wan used, as is usually, but not always, the case with blackbirds’ nests. In the forenoon several of the botanical enthusiasts climbed to the top of the plateau where some collecting was done. After lunch the party divided up into small groups, and tlie chief study was centred upon the botany of the locality. The plants collected were afterwards submitted to the learned leader, Mr W. Martin, whose store of knowledge proved little less bounteous than the harvest of plants which these seemingly rugged rocky wastes afforded. The tiny forget-me-not (Myosotis Antarctica) was in full bloom and quite abundant. A cushion grass (Agroatis muscosat, numerous tiny sedges, tussocks, violets, dwarf cress, and the native shamrock, together with several species of buttercup constituted much of the vegetation, though numerous others we re interspersed. On the rocks near the summit wore several plants of the large leafed Spaniard (Aciphylla Colonsoi), an aniseed (Anistome brevistyle), and numerous plants of the blue tussock (Poa Colensoi), while below them were patches of the deciduous fern (H.ypolepsis tenuifolia). The Maori onion was everywhere, springing up, and some wae in full bloom. In the scrub near the Deep Stream were discovered flowering specimens of the slender clematis (Clematis marata), Colcnso’s wine berry (Aristotelia Colensoi), a very uncommon plant, Coprosma viresccns and the thickstemmed relative of the violet (Hymenanthera crassifolia). What is deemed to .be a new species of sedge (Uncinia) was one of the rewards of the day, while the little cousin of the buttercup (Myosurus Cristalus) was another Olcaria virgata in its broad-leafed form was common enough, and the native broom, Carmichaclia subulate was exceedingly abundant. The commonest fuchsia, in the locality is, tho trailing fuchsia. (Fuchsia Colensoi). Various orchids, ferns, sedges, hydrocotyles, bidi-bids (tour species), Muchlenbeckia (three species), willow herbs (six species), brambles (three), and numerous herbaceous plants brought the. total for the day up to about 100 species. ; The geological, •formation of the district is, of course, interesting, being carved out in massive schist rock. # , The' apparently unnegotiable hillsides, as viewed from the train, do not present such difficulties when tack,ed, and closer investigations arc abundantly rewarded by the charming streams and picturesque waterfalls which are hidden in the deep clefs. from the hilltops the landscape is tliiu ot a plain with all thje stream incised to great depths owing to the uplift of the land alter the hills of a. former geological period h*te been, completely worn down. 'The Taien River receives its tributaries in this gorge at depths ranging to 1000 ft below • the old land surface of the plateau above.