OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN

Otago Witness, Issue 3103, 3 September 1913, Page 73

OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN

FOR SENIORS AND JUNIORS.

(Conducted by Magister, to whom all coin munications must be addressed.)

[Magister will be glad to receive Nature notes, marked papers containing educational articles, diagrams, details of experiments, etc., of scholastic interest to teachers and pupils. Correspondents must use only oxe side of the paper, and whether using a pen name or not, must send both xa me and AUDBESS-l CORRESPONDENCE AND NOTES. As the foot-note to Mr Johnston's meteorological records show, they were in in time for last week; but, not expecting any additional records, my columns were made up much sooner than usual. The rainfall for Gatlins, as given by Mr Johnston, will probably equal that of Dunedin for the present month, though it includes the two flood falls. For a month 8.22 in seems fairly high, doesn’t it? But the Commonwealth Year Book gives 16 records of a daily fall of over 20in, one being 28.80 in ! This gives what weight to the acre, do you think? Over 2900 tons! Put this in 4Cogal tanks, and you will require between 400 and 500 of them. That's something like a rain, isn’t it? “ Richmond ” lias his monthly characteristic letter. I am sure many of us wish that we had the same acquaintance with Nature that ho has. He mentions two or three words my young readers might just as well make the acquaintance of. “ Monoecious” means inhabiting one household; in this case, it means the male staminato or male elements are in one flower, and the female or pistillate elements are in another, but that the male and the female flowers are found on the one plant. “Dioecious” means inhabiting households apart—that is, the male flowers are on one plant and the female on another. When the two sexes are combined in the same flower we have an hermaphrodite flower. Still another class of plants carries pistillate, staminate, and hermaphrodite flowers, in which case the plant is a “ polygamous ” one. What does “parthenogenesis” mean? Curiously, the word does not occur in the “ Encyclopajdia Britanniea,” though it docs in Harmsworth’s. It is what is called a sexual reproduction —that is, an egg or germ develops without being fertilised with the male element. In a covering note “Richmond ” says he has not seen any reference to parthenogenesis in any New Zealand botanical work. Nor have I; but then my reading doesn't extend far enough to say it has not been mentioned. I am only too glad to recommend Dr Macdonald’s letter to the consideration not only of boys and girls, but of men and women too. If primroses, dusty millers, daffodils, etc., were dropped here and there every year by a few hundreds, our hillsides would soon become a delight in spring and summer. A young relative of mine is now enjoying a tour through England, and the Continent, and one of his great delights were the waysides and meadows in spring time. If boys and girls were to do as the doctor suggests, they would then think twice before destroying what is planted byothers.

And, talking of daffodils, our gardens this year will be worth a pilgrimage to see, and soon it will not be necessary to go to Lawrence to sec them by the million. Mr Tannock has about 4500 bulbs, making up 201 varieties in bods named in systematic order; but, in addition, there are perhaps 120,000 scattered about and not named. Some of Mr Tannock's treasured possessions run up to 228 s a dozen! The name? That’s tellings! Where are they? That is tellings, too! And daffodils and the Gardens remind mo that I have a note on orchids which should have gone in last week. It still holds good, however, so I’ll insert it here:— Dendrobiuni speciosum, the Australian rook lily, which, of course, is not a lily, but an orchid, is mating a good display in the cool orclrd ho : -’o in the Winter Garden at present. Though not brightcoloured, this orchid is attrao 'vo and sweetscented, and is one suitable for growing in an ordinary health greenhouse. It is a true epiphyte, and several specimens have more roots on (ho outside of the pot than the inside. The cypripediums, or ladies’ slipper orchids, are going off, but a fine lot of eoelogynes and orcidinms is coming on. These cypridimus dt serve a fuller note, but I cannot spare aiy more space just now.

Inez Mayo's (Wuiroa. Hawke’s Bay) letter is a capital ono. Seeing that her lizards have prehensile tails, and that thej the lizards, not the tails!—make a noise, Inez must he keeping green geckos. On tins germs “Animals of New Zealand" has the following;—“Sir W. Buller says that this lizard, on being molested, emits a peculiar chattering sound, which the Maoris term laughing and of which they have a widespread superstitious dread. The lattali of the green lizard was enough to terrigy the bravest warrior, and its occult power for evil was strangely believed in by all the tribes in every part of the country. 'I he reptile itself, whether dead or alive, was an object of universal fear among them. Mr Colenso says that he never heard i‘s cry." I think I am right in saying that the geckos "are enabled to run along the under side of houghs, or to ascend vertical surfaces by the aid of their expanded and disc-like feet.” A gecko doesn’t make much noise, so can you believe the following, taken front “Tito Royal Natural History ”? —“A iHoith African sand-gecko is at times stated to occur in such numbers ant] to produce such a din bv its cry as to render a sojourn in the neighbourhood well nigh insupportable.” Perhaps this, taken from the same source, will interest Inez:—“Jew creatures have given rise to a greater amount of fable and legend than the large group of lizards commonly known as geckos, such legends being probably due to the nocturnal and domestic habits of these creatures coupled with the sharp chirping cry from which they derive their name, and their curiosly expanded disc-like toes. Absolutely innocuous, they have been credited from the earliest times with ejecting venom from their toes, and of poisoning whatever they crawled over; while the teeth of one species have been assorted to be capable of leaving their impression on steel. Indeed, so intense is the dread in spired by these little creatures that in Egypt the lobe-footed or fan-footed species is commonly termed ‘ aboubttrs.’ or father of leprosy.’’ Perhaps some other day I’ll have a little more to say upon lizards. “Teacher” (Dunedin) a fortnight ago wanted some notes on a larva. Last week Mr Tyndall (Middiemaroh) concerning it, sent one of those delightfully characteristic

and interesting letters one expects from him, but did not give its name and life history. Mr Nelson (Forbury School) reminds me that Hudson describes it in his “Manual of New Zealand Entomology.’* Its popular name, I think, is Tiger beetle. Ir b ’longs to the Ader, Coleoptora; Group, Gcot.epkaga: Family, Cicindolid®; and its name is Cicindela tulx-rculata. The following is its history: This is a very abundant insect found throughout the country in all dry situations. It delights in hot sunshine, and may be constantly observed flying from our footsteps with great rapidity as wc walk along the roads on a hot summer’s day. Its larva is an elongate fleshy grub, the head and first segment being horny and much flattened, and the body provided with two largo dorsal humps, each bearing at its apex a slender curved hook. The burrows of these insects are very conspicuous. and must have been noticed by every one, in garden paths, sandbanks, and oilier dry situations; they are sometimes very numerous, and may be best described as perfectly round shafts, about one line in diameter, and extending to the depth of three or four inches, generally slightly curved at the bottom. The sides arc per fectly smooth, and the larva may be often discovered near the month of its burrow, using its dorsal hooks to support it, and thus having both legs and jaws free to dispose of the unfortunate insects that fall into its snare. These usually consist ot flies anti final 1 beetles, which appear to be urged by curiosity to crawl down these pitfalls, a.nd thus bring about their own destruction. By reference to the figure it will be seen how admirably the hollowed head and prot’ orax serve the purpose of a shovel to the larva, when forming its shaft. These burrows are first observed about the middle of November ; the perfect insects coming abroad three weeks or a month later, when they may be often seen in (lie neighbourhood of their old domiciles. They are very voracious, devouring largo quantities of flics, caterpillars, and other insects, some of which are much superior to themselves in size. On one occasion I taw a male specimen of Cicindela panyi (a species oloselv allied to but smaller than C. tuborcu'ata) attack a large Tortrix caterpillar, an inch, and a half in length. The beetle invariably sprang upon the back of the caterpillar and bit it in the neck, being meanwhile flung over and over by the larva’s vigorous efforts to free itself from so unpleasant an ossailan!. During the fight, which lasted fully 20 minutes, the beetle was compelled to retire periodically to gain fresh strength to renew its attacks, which wore eventually successful, the unfortunate tortrix becoming finally completely exhausted. The beetle devoured but a very small portion of the caterpillar, and abandoning the remainder went off in search of fresh prey. Eight other closely allied species of Cicindela are described by Oa.pta : n fh-oun in the “Manual of the New Zealand Coleoptera,” but they offer no especial pcoularities. and C. fcuberculat.a may be taken «« a type of (ho gomis.

Tawanui, Catlina, August 11. 1915. Drar “ Magister,’—The following are the weather records taker, here during July, 1913: — Minimum temperature for month, 25dog on sih and 11th; average of minimum temperatures, 36.4d0g; number of days temperature below 32deg I'ahr.. 1 days; maximum temperature for month. 60deg, on 17th and 19th; average of maximum temperatures, 52.2dfg ; highest barometrio reading, at 9.30 a.rn., 30.1 deg. on Ist; lowest barometric reading, at 9.30 a.lit., 28.9 deg, on 21st; average barometric reading. at 9.30 a.m., 29.6 deg; total rahifall for month. 8.22 in ; highest rainfall for 24 hours. 103 points, ending 9.50 a.m. on 26rb : other heavy rainfa'ls for 24 hours —107 points, ending 9.30 a.m. on 21st, 85 points ending 9.30 a.m. on 22nd, 78 points ending 5.50 a.m. on 10th, 78 points ending 9.30 a.m. on llth ; number of days on which rain fell, 25.—Yours faithfully. John G. Johnston. P.S. —I am not sure of the minimum temperatures for the month. The index in the minimum thermometer is not in good working order, and sometimes drops. Hence mv average is. 1 think, too high. Have you any idea how to keep the index from dropping?—J. G. J. [Having so much mutter in hand. I made up my columns for last week much earlier that, usual and this return came to hand afterwards. I am glad to add Tawanul School to our lists for various reasons; for one, because a Gatlins return in the matter of rainfall will ho in contrast with that from Ranfurly. I cannot.suggest any means of making the index register truthfully, however. -Magistek.}

Dear " Magister,” —During the last (lava of July, which were exceedingly rough and wild, it war to be noticed that the birda saiig at dawn in spite of wind and weather. A few days later we had dark, misty mornings without wind, and the birds were very late in making their presence known. It is more than likely that as wo know of champion singers among blackbirds and thruehca there may be champion early risers. I see no reason to change the opinion expressed las 1 ' year that the hedge sparrow is the earliest morning singer. I have verified this time and again. On Monday. August 11. an extremely dark morning, a hedge sparrow utter- d his sweet, short song while it was still dark. A little later the Cathedral hell rang out. apparently wakening blackbirds and thrushes into action—they had not moved till then—and caused them to utter their morning call. They did not sing rill some minutes later, a lark commencing before them. Both on the hills and on the flat I have heard the hedge sparrow sing first. One can tell spring is here from the misty appearance of birehrs and willows, which at a distance appear enveloped in a vapour bath. This is caused bv the swelling of the buds, which, taken in the mass, must be considerable, running into unimaginable figures. A nearer approach shows the birches are bearing their catkins and the willows their leaves. The goat willow, Salix caprea, is a moss of golden flowers, all males. Wind-fertilised flowers are no: always dingy; the stigmas of the hazel an; a beautiful wine-red colour, and the star flowers of tbe larches are also brightly tinted. In the Triangle the elms arc now showing their brown and purple flowers. The African ragwort, or Barbary ragwort (Othonna cheirifolia), has been showing its beautiful golden flowers all the winter. This shrubby daisy tree, with its finely-cut, dark-green leaves, adorns many a garden in Caversham. It is a native of the North of Africa and the Mediterranean. We have many Mediterranean species in our gardens, such as lavender, rosemary, myrtle, arbutus, laurel, broom, evergreen shrubs able to resist drought, and often aromatic, which is a protection against grazing animals. At the base of each flower stalk of the African ragwort is a dense mat of white

hairs. I am not certain, but imagine this is a protection against climbing insect's as ants, which are unbidden guests To make itself doubly safe, the stalk and caiyx-like involucre are shiny and smooth, thus offering no footing to an insect should it pass the first barrier. Altogether, it is an interesting plant. Leucopagon Fraser:, a d warf X oiv Zealand heath, very common on our hills, has the throat of the flower densely hairy. Mr Thomson suggests that moths fertilised this flower, having long, slender trunks. Another common border plant, Senecio cineraria, or, as the gardeners call it, Cineraria maritima, also the Mediterranean, is to be seen in most gardens. The leaves and stems are clothed with silvery hairs, which give it a perfectly white appearance. Of course, the green leaf is under this felt mat, which entirely covers the whole plant. This covering is a protection against evaporation, and probably acts also as a safeguard against animals. One of the unsettled problems of New Zealand botany is the reason for the prevalence of unisexual plants. The coprosma is a notable instance, the male and female flowers being borne on different plants. From the fact that the flowers are inconspicuous, that the four anthers of the male and the two styles of the female hang well out of the flowers, and also that the stigmas are stigmatic all over, it is assumed the plants are pollinated by wind. Further, insects have seldom been soon on the plants, and, when soon, have not been observed to do effective work in conveying pollen from the male to the female flowers. In the second volume of “ The Natural History of Plants ” Korncr discusses the question of “ Parthenogenesis,” or reproduction without fertilisation by the male. He says, ‘‘First of all it may bo observed that all the plants exhibiting the phenomenon of parthenogenesis are dioecious.” Now. New Zealand has, as stated above, a prevalence of dioecious plants. Has any case of parthenogenesis been observed or suspected in Now Zealand plants? Some months of my young children gave “ Magistor ” a few observations on ants. Flo had lifted a largo stone and found a colony of small ants with galleries, grubs, and tiny pieces of sulphur-coloured substance. At first the ants were wildly excited, but, calming down, proceeded in a most business way to remove everything to a place of safety. Some carried the grubs into the galleries, reappearing soon for more. Others carried the sul(ihur-colourod bodies, but no ant hindered his neighbour. It was also observed thee were ants with wings which did not help in the least. Several nests were found under different stones with much the same happenings. Lately, Mr Drummond, writing in “In Touch With Nature,” made reference to New Zealand ants, and the above observations agree in the main with what he states in the article. Wo hope to gain more information this summer orr this subject, and also on peripatus, which are common in the same locality. One would imagine observant fishermen must come across some queer shapes of sea life. Starfish with heavy marginal plates are often brought up by the trawl, and the emperor’s-cap shell and the wing shell are found in deep waters by the same means. The curious seahorse and slender pipe fish become entangled in the weed in the nets, and many a curious thing besides. Finder the wharf, at Port Chalmers, I have obtained splendid specimens of asterias starfish with a dozen or so rays, and on the beaches the flat-cake urchin is very common. Watching a barrel of Stewart Island oysters being opened, I noticed, amongst other objects classed as rubbish, red-brown starfish with five sinuous, supple arms. These starfish are the natural enemies of the oyster, and are appropriately known as five fingers. The fishermen are of opinion that th.e starfish, with due deliberation and malice aforethought, inserts its arm into an open ovster. The closing bivalve, of course, breaks off the arm, which, however, sickens it, and then the calculating starfish, which has lain alongside, calmly waiting, proceeds to make a meal. Others say the oyster opens to eject the obstruction, and then the red devil sidles in. Although I have seen this starfish in rock pools, and wondered at its rapidity of movement, 1 have not been in a position to observe its method of obtaining food. Is it not more likely that the oyster is benumbed and poisoned when clasped by its enemy, and that it is afterwards sucked out by the prolrueible stomach of the starfish? Brittle stars do. as a matter of fact, lose their limbs readily enough, hut to lose one at each meal is too much.— Richmond.

Dear “ Magister,” —Please (if you approve) to ask the senior boys and girls of the public schools of Dunedin to gather altho spare or waste root plants about their homes of primroses, dusty millers, pansies, forget-me-nots, snowdrops, and daffodils, etc., and plant them in the Town Belt or the braes overlooking tho second beach, St. Clair, or up tho Leith Valley or Reservoir roadside, or Signal Hill or Lower Peninsula road, or Tahuna-Tomahawk roadside, or elsewhere, as fancy dictates. The above are all pleasant and much-used walks, with few or no flowers, whilst a few would add immensely to their interest. I may add that I have followed the above practice for many years, as opportunity offered, and I have also scattered many flower seeds along several of the above walks. The above work is one essentially for boys and girls, and as they grow to manhood and womanhood it may arouse in them tho poetic, the literary, or tho passion divine.-—Yours truly, Gordon Macdonald.

Dear “ Magister,”—No doubt you will bo pleased to learn that my family of lizards has increased by two pairs of t-w;ns. The first twins were born on July 6, 1915. They are dark in colour, and are about 3in in length, but are very slight. The tails are much longer than the rest of their bodies. The head seems out of proportion to the rest of their body. Their legs, cars, and eves are very small, and they seem very s fow in grow.ng. Ail the time wo have been watching them wc have never noticed them eat. But one day, as wc were watchin<r them, we noticed one of the lizards spring forward, and wo found that there was a little insect on tho grass.; but it missed the insect, and it never tried to catch it again The big lizards do not seem to care for tho baby lizards much; they run over them if they are in the way. The small ones are not sluggish like the big ones, but run about in tho box. Very seldom they use their tails for holding on by. They do a great deal of climbing on the side of the box, and on a branch of a tree we put in. They hold on by their feet, which have little sharp hooks at the point of each toe. Tho other twins were born on July 20, 1913, just 11 days after - tho others. They

are very active, and, instead of the big lizards running over them, they get out of their way. They are of a lighter colour than all the rest. Their tails are long and thin; their tongues are purple and long, and wo have noticed them lick their eyes and the grass with them. I was sitting on the lawn, letting them have a run, when, to my surprise, I heard one of them cry out. 'lt's cry was something like a frog’s croak. They climb in the same manner as the others, and in the same places. They are getting very, lively, so that on a hot day we dare not let them out on the lawn till the cool of the evening, for they arc so .lively that we cannot look after them, and we are frightened of losing them. The big lizards are not so sluggish as they used to bo, but they have lost their nice green colour, and have gone a dirty green. They seem very fond of music. One day, as I was taking them out of the box to give them a run, one of them caught hold of my finger in its mouth, and it did bite, though it did not seem to have any teeth. They are not the least bit shy, but seem as if tficy like to climb up one’s dress and got to the highest point of anything.— Yours sincerely, Inez Mayo.