DUNEDIN NATURALISTS’ FIELD CLUB.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19198, 14 June 1924, Page 16

DUNEDIN NATURALISTS’ FIELD CLUB.

OUTING TO WHARE FLAT. Tlic Naturalists’ Field Club on Juno o (King's birthday and a general holiday), j arranged for an all-day outing to Whare Flat, whence it journeyed in one of Jinkson Purdie's motor-lorries. Hie clay proven tine and altogether clearer, calmer, and brighter than in Dunedin, though a tritle cold. Whare Flat is a botanist's paradise, and though no new finds were made on this occasion, a fair number have been recorded in the last two years. Thus on the dry, sunny slopes facing west, a clematis with stems little thicker than | ordinary twine, and with a few and tiny ; loaves, was noted last year. The flowers have four purple sepals and are followed I by the usual iiulfy seed-balls. Ibis plant I (0. marata) was formerly erroneously reported as C. aloliata, and has been so recorded in the club’s oflicial catalogue, A sedge and a buttercup new to the district were also reported last year. The vegetation of Whare Flat is varied, mixed bush occurring in the more shady valleys, manuka being dominant on the suunv slopes. ’lhe flat is noted for the wealth of kowhai still growing there, while the walk from the school along the water-race is one of the most charming in the Dunedin area. This was the locality botanised on Tuesday oast. No specially noteworthy plants were seen other than’ the only surviving patch of umbrella fern (Glcichcnia Cnnninghamii) now existing in the whole district, and this—only a square yard in extent—-was by no means in a flourishing condition, due, no doubt, to the recent dry weather. Rlechnium vnlcanicum was a fern more common hero than elsewhere in Dunedin, and the small-leaved tutu (Coriaria thymifolia) was found at an unusually low level. The prostrate tree fern, Alsophila, was noted beside the water-race. Carex dissita with fruit stalks upwards of nine feet long was collected .and a single specimen of the neinei (Drachophyllnin longifolinni) noted. A conspicuously redfruited bidabid grows on the flat opposite the school, by name Acaena novaezcalandia. The tall tussock glass, Danthonia Raoulii (?) likewise grows near the school. Six native grasses and nine sedges were seen, also 22 ferns and three club mosses. The neighbourhood of Whare Flat and Powder Creek is a particularly suitable place for fungi, and collectors were very pleased with the number and variety of specimens gathered on the grassy path by the race—on leaves—on prostrate twigs —on clay banks —on the floor of the bush, all sorts and sizes of these plants arc to be found. One of the prettiest signts was tho bird nest fungus (Crucibulum vulgare) so often looked for in vain on other walks. On the damp manuka branches lying near the ground, it might bo seen in all its stages of development, the very tiny orange-coloured growth, the full grown plant, with its neat, round top, and” then the dainty cup-like nest with its flat, round white “eggs.” The three conspicuous scarlet fungi were all gathered —Otagoa coccinea rounded, slightly convoluted, and stalkless; becotium, with red cap and yellowish-white stalk, and Aseroe rubra, with star-like top and very disagreeable odour, bpecies of agarics (fungi with gills) were everywhere, pure white, yellow, grey, chocolate brown, and some with greenish caps. Near Powdei Creek was one group of a species of Hydnum, a fungus with yellow bristles instead of gills. Two species of puff balls were on the race track —a huge mustard-yellow one and a smaller brown one. Close by one of the fords was’a Scleroderma, which differs from a puffball in having few or no supporting threads (can llitinrn) mixed with the spores. Several tremcllaceous—i.e., gelatinous specimens were also collected—orange, amber coloured, slatey-grey, and a pinkish purple one—these all grow on twigs; also a species of Stercum and Clavaria, tho former with a smooth, rounded and more or less flattened hymenium or spore-bearing surface, the latter with vertical hymenium. e INDOOR MEETING. POPULAR ASTRONOMY. At the indoor meeting held on Monday evening Miss Hodgkinson read a very interesting paper on Popular Astronomy, it was stated astronomy is the oldest of physical sciences or nearly so, and it is certainly one of the most profoundly interesting. It acquaints us with the easiness and wonder of the physical universe and gives the widest range to thought and imagination. It shows us what a negligible speck our globe is, the satellite of a sun which is itself a very small star compared to others amongst the host of stars scattered through the nnimasrinable vastness of space. There is indeed some-tiling terrifying in the contemplation of the vastness of tiie stellar universe, and this may he one reason why astronomy is a less popular study than the more homely physical sciences, particularly botany and the various branches of •'•oology. Rut another is the comparative difficulty of the study. To gain anything more than a very elementary knowledge of the mechanical part of astronomy one needs to bo well versed in mathematics. Then astronomy does not enter into school and college systems, and most people have no means o' obtaining instruction through other means than books, nor for observing the heavenly bodies except by the unaided eye. It was the unaided eye, however, on which the early atsronomers had to depend to acquire their very considerable knowledge of tho solar system and tinstars, and it is because wc do not use our eyes that for most of use the night sky is a mere jtimhle of unknown stars and that we, fall into such flagrant mistakes about stars, planets often confused with stars, and particularly the most familiar heavenly bodies of all next to the sun, cur own satellite, the moon. We do not observe and wc do not use the knowledge actually possess and reason from one fact tg another. The majority of people are quite at' sea about the phases and movements of the moon, while in this age ot science and universal education oldfashioned superstitions about the moon are still very commonly held. One is perpetually hearing people prognosticate bad weather because the new moon has come in with rain or because the crescent moon appears “ on its back ’ cradling as it were the old moon seen faintly within the bright bow of the crescent. The information that is given in primary schools about the sun and moon would suffice, if reasoned from, to show the absurdity of these ideas, for it teaches that tho' phases of the moon are general for the world. A little reasoning would inform us that tho attitude of the descent moon in tho heavens depends on the relative position of the sun, moon and earth; and has nothing to do with our atmosphere and change of weather. If tho now moon appearing on its back betokened rain, there should be rain all over the world. Such a prognostication stands on an entirely different footing from a prognostication of imminent rain because of a halo round Dio moon, for this depends on partially condensed moisture in the atmosphere, which is likely soon to be precipitated as rain. It is a local phenomenon and has value as a weather sign for that particular locality. The progress of civilsiation is responsible for the common want of observation of the sky and heavenly bodies. In primitive civilisation people have practical reasons for observing the sun and moon and stars for these stand to them in place of tho watches, clocks, almanacs and compasses and other means by which modern civilised people tell the hours and tho seasons and steer their course by land and sea. All savages note the stars, and have stories about the most noticeable stars and constellations, often bearing a resemblance to the astronomical myths of tho old classical world. Thus the Australian aborigines say of the ‘Tost Pleiad the seventh star of the group which is so faint that few people can distinguish it with tho naked eye, that it was once the queen of the group, but the great star Wa (our Canopus) disguised himself and carried her off for his bride. The Polynesian navigators had need to study the heavenly bodies well to direct their course in their wonderful voyages from

island group lo group over the wastes of the Pacilh. Savages and races without western knowledge have, of course, no idea of the mechanism of the heavens and the nature of the heavenly bodies. When the moon is eclipsed they think a dragon is eating her up. They know her changes and her position through month and year as few civilised white people do, and they note how the stars ti averse the heavens nightly and how stars and groups rise with the passage of the year. We civilised modern people, particularly townspeople, have no need to note any of these things, and few of us do. The spectacle of a star-sown sky on a dark, clear night may call forth occasional admiration, hut to most people it is just a beautiful confusion of stars. They do not note a certain bright star or a remarkable group and see how it travels athwart the heavens in an interval of time. Nor do they note the appearance, nor disappearance of stars and groups throughout the year as, for instance, how the splendid constellation Orion comes into view - in the eastern sky soon after sunset in the late spring or early summer, is seen higher at the same hour as the season advances, passes on towards the west and is conspicuous in the western sky in the early autumn, gradually sinking lower till it drops out of sight. Of late votes, the idea that planets or some of them, are inhabited hv beings posses* s ; ng faculties and intelligence similar ‘ man’s has taken strong nuid on popular fancy. It is interesting to speculate, about life in other worlds and give fancy free rein occasionally, but speculation should not I>3 confused with ascertained fact nor fancies with probabilities. The the conclusion of her address Miss Hodgkinson was accorded a very hearty vote ol thanks. The next outing is to the east end ot Tomahawk bleach, and at the indoor meeting Mr W. J. Williams will lecture on the Maori history of the Dunedin district.