Tuatara

"Very soon after the momentary V shudder described above, the sea transgressed again over many parts of New Zealand, to deposit rocks of the Southland series."

No, it's neither Jules Verne nor H. G. Wells, but from an article on "The Geological History of New Zealand" in "Tuatara." The particular deluge alluded to took place in the Miocene era, a mere 25,000,000 (estimated) years ago. It may have been the element of latent sensationalism in this article (if geologists are moved by sensationalism), but this particular article provoked requests for copies from all over the world including one from the University of Israel.

"Tuatara" was originally a duplicated broadsheet put out by the Biological Society at Victoria some years ago. In 1947 it appeared in a more ambitious printed format with equally ambitious aims. "The nature of applied biological research is not always clear to students of biological subjects or to the general public. The work . . . of research institutions appears with few exceptions only in technical journals and is rarely interpreted in the current press for general consumption . . . There is real scope for a journal which will provide articles on biological research in New Zealand readily accessible to the student and the general public. This the Biological Society has undertaken in 'Tuatara'."

Articles in the journal fall in the main into two classes. These are those specifically intended for students and amateur biologists—how to collect specimens, how to preserve them, what to call them (this last a task in which most biologists are singularly adept). The "keys," articles designed to help students or biologists identify plants and animals with which they are not familiar, are one of the features of "Tuatara," and although typographically not the most exciting portion of any issue, they are probably the most lasting in value. Apart from the week before finals, it is not until a person actually starts collecting on field trips that he realises just how few animals he can identify in more than general terms. The same applies to botanists. The keys do not guarantee an infallible answer in five seconds, but they can save endless hours of hunting through literature and an awful lot of mental frustration. As with all the other articles, they are written by specialists in their field.

Then there are the more general articles. C. A. Fleming's article on. New Zealand's geological history, quoted from above, is one of a series of reviews which summarises research work in various fields. Glancing through the first three volumes one notices that the Tuatara itself has not been forgotten. There have been acocunts of work at a whaling station, in the Chinese fishing industry, life at Plymouth Marine Biological Society, work on the freshwater eels of New Zealand. Did you know that Shakespeare's knowledge of entomology was considerable, and was reflected in his plays? Or the extent of research work in New Zealand Museums? Or why toheroas have suddenly disappeared from Ninety-mile Beach? (The Fisheries Department would like to know the answer to that one.)

Some students may be inclined to says, "This article is interesting enough, but the one over the page is too tough for me." At the present stage of his studies, his objection, may be valid. But in most cases the articles which are tough reading now are the ones which are going to be most useful later on. And it is exceedingly hard to express scientific concepts without using some scientific terms. Often absolute simplicity in style can only be achieved by not rising above simple concepts and ideas, or by distortion.

To a large extent "Tuatara" depends on student support. Students will find it has much to offer them.

Did you know that the tuatara is not a true lizard?