Cass: History and Natural Science in the Vicinity of the Cass Field Station

(Editor C. J. Burrows)
Published by the Department of Botany, University of Canterbury.
418 pp., 1977. Price $ 12.00.
Available from Miss E. E. Roberts, Department of Botany, University of Canterbury, Private Bag, Christchurch, New Zealand.

The Cass Field Station of the University of Canterbury was first built in 1914 among the mountains of the upper Waimakariri River basin and this volume covers the history of the station and the Cass district, including the farming endeavour there. Other articles, written by authors eminent in their fields, describe the geology, geomorphology, soils, climate, and the biology and ecology of the page 115 various vegetation types and animal habitat types. Although the data summarises sixty years of natural science in the area, much new information is included in each article. Seldom has any locality of comparable size in New Zealand been as well studied as the area around Cass but most of the articles give prominence to the need for further study.

Extensive annotated check lists of the flora and fauna are given and there is a list of all theses and publications which have been based on work in the vicinity of the station.

This volume is an important contribution to natural science in the South Island mountains and is recommended to interested laymen, students and research scientists.