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Tuatara: Volume 1, Issue 1, September 1947

Biological Society Notes

Biological Society Notes

Events of The Year

1. Annual General Meeting. After the election of officers Mr. W. H. Dawbin gave an account of his 14 months' stay at the Auckland Islands. Commencing with a history of previous exploration of the group, and the shipwrecks which have occurred there, he then discussed the rigorous climatic conditions, and rugged topography which has resulted in a special alpine flora. There is a high proportion of endemic species, many of which have very brightly coloured flowers in contrast to the whites and yellows of New Zealand species. The great wealth of sea bird life was described with accounts of the life history of several petrels, penguins and the endemic snipe and flightless duck. Seals of four species are present with sealions most numerous, but occasional specimens of sea elephants, sea leopards and furseals occurred. Lantern slide illustrations were shown, followed by a movie film made in the area.

2. Miss Ralph gave a talk on the trip which the V.U.C. Biology Students made to the United States and Canada during the last vacation. A brief explanation of some of the epoch making apparatus that science has produced within the last, few years was given, namely the electron microscope and cyclotron, both of which were seen at the Massachussetts Institute of Technology. Miss Ralph showed electro-micrographs of the trichocysts of Paramecium taken by Dr. Jakus of the Biology Department of M.I.T. who demonstrated the microscope to the students.

Landing in Norfolk, Virginia, the students went first to institutions along the east coast of U.S.A., to Canada, then across to Vancouver and down the west coast to San Francisco, from where the departure was made.

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Miss Ralph then told a little of the differences of life in North America both inside and outside the University and some of the amusing incidents that are bound to happen when travelling in a strange country. The group was enthusiastically welcomed by students and University staff everywhere. The talk was illustrated with lantern slides.

3. An herbarium competition for Stage I students has been introduced for the first time this year. Students entering are required to collect up to 50 native plants and mount them in the standard manner. A prize will be given for the best entry. The competition is designed to stimulate an interest in field work, which the society regards as one of its main functions.

4. First Tararua trip. A party led by Mr. Laird spent a week-end making observations on animal and plant life in the Tauherenikau Valley. The first day was devoted to an intensive study of two 10ft. square quadrats selected at random, one in the bush, the other on the river-flat. Each area was searched systematically. The plant species at ground-level were first noted and then mosses were stripped from stones and logs and searched for insects and other small animals. Objects lying on the ground were turned over, and their under-surface and the ground beneath them examined. Rotting logs were split open, and loose bark and lichens peeled from standing trees. Finally the branches themselves were shaken over sheets of cloth, many insects and spiders being obtained in this way Prominent among the animals obtained in the river-flat collection were numbers of spiders, mock-scorpions and insects adapted for life beneath loose manuka bark by a dorso-ventral flattening. Peripatus, and a large colony of the native termite Calotermes ruficeps, were found in rotting logs in the bush. The results of this study will be written up in full at a later date. On the second day of the trip the party strolled up the river, botanizing and examining aquatic animals and bird-life. Those interested in plants examined the flora of the quadrats previously studied for animal life.

5. Trip to Red Rocks. Dr. Fell led a large party to identify and observe the commoner littoral animals in their natural habitats. Most of the typical Cook Strait starfish and brittle-stars and the common sea urchin Evechinus chloroticus were seen. Littoral mollusca, sea anemones, and polychaete worms were observed. A storm on the preceding days cast up a rich supply of sponges, polyzoa and hydrozoa together with masses of seaweeds. A number of the brachiopod Terebatella inconspicua were attached to the sponges.

The party studied another type of animal association, on raised bouldery beaches above tide level. Amphipod and large isopods were common together with numbers of millipedes and centipedes and occasional specimens of the lizard Lygosoma.

6. Brains Trust. The Question Master was Prof. Ian Gordon, and members of the Trust, Prof. Bailey, Prof. Cotton, Dr. Hamilton, Dr. page 28 Newman, Mr. Miller, Mr. Monro. The questions dealt with covered a broad field and many different points of view were expressed.

Co-education in schools was treated at some length, followed by a lively discussion on the Government's action in stopping the broadcast of “How Things Began.” The question “Should scientists carry on with their research when they do not know for what the result of of their researches will be used” was raised. The Trust came to the unanimous decision that stopping research for fear of such future consequences would impede progress. Another question dealt with slumps and following that the relative value of University Degrees in New Zealand and other countries was discussed. A question on Marxism was ably answered by Mr. Miller, and Dr. Newman dealt with a question of the mutability of genes. There was also discussion on the Metric system and other topics of wide interest. Included were questions in lighter vein which gave scope for the Trust to pool its wit and repartee.

7. Lecture on sex. Mrs. Cochran gave a comprehensive talk to women students on this subject. To encourage a freer discussion among the women students, this was delivered to an exclusively female audience. After giving a brief description of the male and female sex organs, Mrs. Cochran dealt with the psychological aspects of courtship and marriage, and such subjects as contraceptives, childbirth and maternity homes.

8. Wallaceville Trip. Dr. Cunningham, the Director of Wallaceville Animal Research Station, gave a short general talk on the work done at the research station. The party divided into two groups, one of which was conducted by Miss McKenzie, the other by Misses Filmer and Bown. In the Parasitology laboratory, Mr. Whitten explained work concerning internal and external parasites of farm animals and the treatment of affected animals. In the Chemistry section, the Toxicology laboratory was visited. Mr. Staples gave a general outline of the work. He discussed lead, strychnine, nitrate-nitrite poisoning and described the isolating technique. Mr. Andrews gave a talk on trace elements, illustrating his remarks with reference to copper, cobalt and iodine. The post-mortem room, incubating room and refrigerating room were also visited. In the Diagnostic laboratory, Mr. Peddie talked on the preparation of vaccines and how specimens are sent in from the field for diagnosis. At the Honey House, Mr. Palmer-Jones described his work on poison honey, the finding of supplements for pollen, etc. Miss Hodgson, the librarian, described her work, which includes looking up references, making photostats, and abstracting. Miss McKenzie spoke on blood groups in animals. At the Histology laboratory, Mr. Williams described the technique of making slides. The small animal section which includes the rat-room and mouse-room, was visited. Sheep infected with parasites and isolated for study were a feature of interest.

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9. Second trip to Tararuas. This trip to Field Hut was led by Miss Mason, of the Botany Division. Soon after the party reached the bush a halt was called and all trees, ferns, etc., identified. Observations were repeated at different levels and it was interesting to note the upper altitude limits of the dominant plants. At 3200ft. the taxad rain forest is replaced by a typical beech association. At about 3800ft. sub-alpine scrub dominated by Olearia colensoi and Senecio eleagnofolius commences. This association was of especial interest to students who had not previously reached this height.

Things to Come

Kapiti trip. A party of 20 will be able to make this post-exam expedition in November.

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