FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2619, 15 November 1915, Page 3

FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB

On Thursday last a very interesting lecture by Professor H. B. Kirk, M.A., was given before the Wellington Field Naturalists' Club on the life of the rock pools at Island Bay. Tho Professor began his address by referring to the mode of observation in the study of the development of certain forms of life in the pools, and while, by cxiltures made in the college laboratory, many interesting facts could be gleaned about them, the real laboratory, he said, for the one who wished to study such life was the rock pools themselves, as it could never be certain that the organism under observation would develop under confinement in the same manner as it would in its natural elements. The Professor then referred to plant life as being the basis of all animal life, in the sea and on land.- Do away with all forms of plant life, and all animal life would soon disappear. Tho surface of tho sea, ho said, was a floating meadow of microscopic plant life. This plankton, as it is called, furnishes food for small forms of animal life in contact with it. Theso small forms are devoured by and these by larger still, and so on until we get to tho hngo monstors of tho deep. All are dependent on the floating ■ meadow of microscopic plant life. As on the surface of the open sea, so on the surface of the rock pools. In rock pools, however, many highly-organ-ised forms of plant life, such as seaweeds, were present. Animal and plant life were not tho only forms of life in the pools. Insect life also played a minor role. In the coralline sea weeds could be found casos containing small grubs which in the adult stage turned out to bo minute flies. Mosquito larvae were also quite common in tho rock pools. At/this point the life history of the mosquito was very interestingly given, illustrated by many lantern slides. 1 The Professor then entered upon tho development of molluscs, or snail-like animals, tracing their lifo history throughout the early stages of their development. Special attention was given to'tho structure of the "foot" and of the organs of. sense. Other interesting points as to manner of feeding and of locomotion were touched upon. The address throughout was largely illustrated by ordinary lantern slides, and by slide's showing the objects as seen through the microscope._ On Saturday afternoon a field excursion took place to Evans Bay, proceeding thence across the stretch of sand area to Lyall Bay. This area is of a very interesting nature botanically, and at the present time affords quite a pleasing scene in virtue of the profusion of the ieo plant (Mesembryanthomum cdule) in full bloom. At Lyall Bay the rock pools on the eastern side of the bay were' visited, and several very interesting forms of plant and animal life were collected. ■