IN TOUCH WITH NATURE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19135, 1 April 1924, Page 2

IN TOUCH WITH NATURE

BOOK-LICE AND THEIR ALLIES. By J Drummond, F.L.S., F.Z.S. The little book-louse l , alias book-tick, alias cabmorimuo, present in almost all parts of Now Zealand, where it- damages books and papers,/belongs to an order of insects distinguished from ail other insects by several strongly -marked characters. One of- these is a remarkable organ 'without parallel in the whole world-wide class of the insocta. It is a set of chisels, set in the jaws, a long, hard rod with a sharp end, like a sot of carving chisels. The chisels, which may bo extruded a considerable distance from the jaws, aro used to gouge out. pieces of material on which the insects live. For this reason members of this order boar the title of ( opeongutha, chisel-jawed. Booklico aro wingless, but other members of the order have sniail wings, held like a roof over the body. This suggests the shape of a porpoise, and the order goes under an entomological alias. Psocoptera—literally,, porpoise-like wings.

The book-lonso is an introduced pest Now Zealand's own members of-the order seem to live mainly in native forests, but Dr It. J. Tillyard (Chief of the Biological Department, of the Ciuvlhron Institute), who has turned his unwearied energies to these insects, reports that at least two New Zealand species have spread in groat abund anco to orchards and gardens. They feed there on fungoid growths, and seem to do no harm. Several months’ collecting by Dr Tillyard have disclosed a fairly large nutn tier of new species, and have given him an opportunity to add something to a knowledge of tlie insects’ life histories, which seem to have been neglected ail over the world. He finds ihat the females lay eggs in flat masses of 20 or more on leaves or under bark. The eggs are covered with a fine protecting web. spun from the insect’s month.

The discovery of one of Dr Tillyard’s species is an important event in New Zealand entomology, as the species is remarkably archaic in type. Another species present in many parts of New Zealand, but never very common, is described by him as not only the most beautiful of (he New Zealand representatives, hut also one of the most beautiful species known in the order throughout, the world. Its head is pale yellow, marked with brown and crimson, its body is shining black, dotted with yellow. and with a crimson patch near the base of each wing, and its ..wings aro hyaline.

Mr J. B, Armstrong has sent a note on one of the most remarkable wild plants in Canterbury, the giant beadsedge. found only in dense forests, on wet soil. It w-as finst discovered in Riccartnn Bush in 1852 by Mr J. E. Armstrong. lie had to wait three years before he obtained flowers of the species. He limn sent a specimen to Sir J. D. Hooker, who named it Gahnia ehonocarpa. Mr J. B. Armstrong adds; “It has much icsemblancc to ihe common toe-toe when out of flower, but. the leaves have a darker colour. and very sharp, cutting edges. .The flower stems grow from 4ft to 6H long, and are brown. A panicle of tho flowers is quite 4ft loner when well grown, and bears brown branches, n itri many brown flowers. The seeds, when quite ripe, aro jet black. Thev are suspended by ninny brown coir-like threads, which give them an elegant, appearance. Although it is a very handsome plant, it has not taken the fancy cf gardeners. Transplantation of the species is somewhat, difficult, and it grows slowly, but it is raised from seeds easily, and it should find a place in collections of native plants. It may be found in Kiccnrton Bush still, but. apparently, in no other part of Canterbury. Fift'- years ago. it was copimon in the I’apanni and .Raugiora Bodies, and at Waimate. but those patches of native forest hate gone, A closely-re-lated plant. Gahnia xanthocarpa, is somewhat common in the north, and a 1 astmmian species rs not very different from it.”

Daisies cultivated in Canterbury gardens, and individuals distributed widely oyer grass lands, have suffered greatly during the past season from attacks by a small fungus, a member of the clnstor-oup tribe, "The loss of tne wild plants, perhaps, is of little consequence,'’ Mr Armstrong writes, “but many fine, green, largeflowered varieties of recent introduction are the worst sufferers. In -many gardens in and near Christchurch, in fact, they have been completely wiped out. The fungus is a British species, HOcidimn cornpasitarum, which in .England occurs on many plants besides (he daisy I’lahts attacked may be saved bv powdered sulphur being dusted over their loaves, but this should be done promptly on the first appearance of the fungus.’’

Few records licvo been made of landshells in Now Zealand in Recent rock -that is, rock of Ihe present geological em, which has followed the Tertiary Era. Air 11. J. Finlay, Pine Hill terrace, Dunedin, when examining the shore-line near the month of the Akatoa Creek, which opens on to the coast some six miles south of the Taieri River, Otago, discovered a small beach deposit very rich m Kocent land-shells. It is the first record in New Zealand of a land fauna, ns distinct from a marine fauna, in a sea-beach deposit. On the highest margin of the strand near Akatoa Greek, Mr Finlay found no fewer than 10 species of land-shells, including a new one. a tiny, handsome coiled shell, which he and Mr it. Murdoch, who worked out the discovery with him, have dedicated to the late Mr H. Sitter, an ardent worker amongst New Zealand’s fossil and living shells.

Most of the species in the deposit am m great profusion. The freshness of their colours gave an impression that they had not been deposited for more than a few months. The bed in which they occur has been formed for more than 13 years, and its extent has not changed noticeably ih that time. Messrs Finlay and Murdoch believe that tho shells wore carried down Akatoa Creek, which drains coastal hills. Almost all New Zealand’s land-shells, they point out, shelter under fallen trees and amongst loaves and decaying debris. Exceptionally heavy rains scour hil'sidcs and gullies and carry loam and debris, and creatures living in them, to the stiean.n. which deposit them near the coastline. Neiv Zealand’s land-shells, mostly, are very fragile, and for that and other reasons thev have left few records of themselves in Tertiary, Cretaceous, and tho old rocks, in which marine-shells have inscribed pages and volumes of their histories.

Efforts are being made to protect a beautiful kowhni grove near Grcymouth, (be remnant of a kowhai forest which covered a large area of flat ground adjoining a tidal lagoon. Tbe City Council has declared the place a reserve, but cattle and horses are allowed to go under the trees and th’ey proven! rej’uvenation on the old forest floor. Mr E. E. Kehce, Greymonfh, v.bo is trying to have the kowhais better protected, writes: “In the spring, when the trees arc dressed in golden gowns, many tuis visit them, and stay as long ns the blooms continue. Tbe grove is a beautiful sight. The people of Crreymouth. generally, do not seem to realise what a valuable possession they h ive there. It is hoped (o resuscitate a local beautifying society, and to give it a strong bias towards the cultivation of native trees, shrubs, and ferns, which grow well here, and may bo collected quite close.”

Mr W. \V. Smith, Now Plymouth. an enthusiastic lover of native plants, and one of Now Zealand’s ablest botanists, for years has urged people of this dominion to grow the kowhni in their gardens. “This gorgeous flowering tree.’’ ho writes, “blooms from die first wool; in August till the end of September, and it may he called the golden herald of New Zealand’s floral spring. As it has been adopted as New Zealand’s national flower it should be planted ex(ensi\ely in school grounds and in town and city reserves..’’ Another botanist states that the kowhai's yellow flowers are produced nn naked branches when ordinary garden flowers are hard to obtain, and that the golden blossoms, with the kowhai's light, airy foliage, should make it a favourite amongst native plants Mr B. Fladden, Taurunga, has made a strong appeal for installing one of New Zealand’s giant myrtles—the southern rata, the northern rata, or the pohutukawa. sometimes known as the Christmas tr=e—as Now Zealand’s national flower. Failing any of these three, he suggests another invrtlo, the manuka, or lea-tree, utilitarian in quality, as well as beautiful. General opinion amongst botanists and the public scorns to select 'he kovvhai for the distinction. Mr K. Phillips Turner, secretory to the State Forest Service, has summarised the kowhai's claims to New Zealand's- affections admirably : “It is the tree that lakes our minds from the dreariness of winter, and tolls us that spring is near. The tni and the helihird sip its nclar as dessert after their winter meals of insects.”

The bodv of a tnorepork owl with some sort of a history was found by Mr H. C. Kirk, in Kirk's Bush, Papakura, near Auck-

land City, a few weeks ago. It bad been dead for some time, us only the skin and feathers remained: but on one leg there was a neat leather tag. In addition to the hole through which the foot had been thrust there was a smaller bole, to which, apparently. a chain had been attached to keep the owl captive, or to which there had been some oilier attachment. The owl seems to have made its escape from captivity and died.