LITERARY AND DEBATING CLUB

Otaki Mail, 18 July 1923, Page 3

LITERARY AND DEBATING CLUB

MB. HAROLD SMALL’S LECTURE. There was a splendid attendance in the Druids ’ Hall on Monday evening, when Mr. Small gave his lecture on “Glimpses of Nature in New Zealand. ” In introducing the lecturer the President (Rev. fer. I’. Petrie, M.A.) accorded him a hearty welcome a-nd said it was a privilege to be addressed by one so null versed in tiro flora and fauna of New Zealand. IBs diffident nature tended .to keep him in the background, and ha had literally to bo "dug out,” but it was worth a good deal of work to bring him into the limelight. Mr. Small, who was received with applause, then gave his lecture. He set out his subjects under two headings. (1) I Slants; (2) Animals and rare birds of New Zealand. In dealing with the .first lie deserikiud and dwelt at length upon the main features of Hie giant mountain buttercup (to be found in the s'oathsrn Alps): the Edelweiss; the mountain joutians: cushion and mat plants: vegetable sheep (found only in New Zealand); mountain daisies (cotton and musk plants); the giant forget-me-not# of various colours of the Chatham Islands: veronicas (coromicos, as the Maoris call them) of which there were over 114 varieties; speargrasses i Wild Spaniard): tree-daisies and ground-sells (Seuerios) bearing leaves suitable for writing upon; shingle-slips - pen-wiper plant, and the jet-black daisy); Olenrca, the rare daisy which I is found nowhere but in northern Nelson. and on the Otaki ranges. The lecturer passed newt to animals and rare birds of Now Zealand, ami dealt v.itli t.lie cormorants (shags): penguins t who lnne their head-quarters in New Zealand); bats, with long tails and short bills, and with short tails and long bills .found nowhere but iti this country); lizards (the Tuulnra. which an aflinifey to the crocodile, and his ( bird-like structure, and has been term- 1 ; ul the most arislocruitic animal in the i world': native frogs (two species). Touehuig ap#n bird life in New Zealand. he dealt upon the hum: the r kiwi (described us a wingless bird, j with a long bill and curious feathers. '.'-it!: nostril? situated upon the extreme , end of the bill which is six to eight t bodies long and of remarkable struct- 11 uve ); saddle-back (very scarce ); stitclibiri (rarest bird next to the kiwi); , 0 nu'll-bird (a great New Zealand song- ; -=tcr ami sings like a chime of btdls (it j ! j is increasing and ia to be found in the Otaki district): crow (two species—one in the North, and one in the South i| Island); kaknpa (half owl, half parrot —has wings, blit rarely uses them): ’ rye-bill plover (has bill bent to the q right). J! Referring to migratory birds he mcne 1 Honed that some came annually all the .. wav them Siberia!, ansi he asked ’ ‘ v, h.v do t-hev came here?” Among them, he u mentioned. tils "Ku-ku, the turnstone. liia spotted plover, the godwit. and the cnot. Reference was also made to the 1 1 ukalie (wrs); the extinct Nm» Zen- ’) land quail. and the Stephen Island wrt-u. Ii The lecturer called attention to the ‘variation in colours of birds ef the same . species in the North and South Islands ~f N.Z., c.g.. bush canaries. eke. He . ; closed his lecture with a description oi ’ nur queer inserts, such as vegetable , ••aterpillare, trap-door spiders, etc. The lecture was given added interest to hv specimen plants, which were banded round. The various questions submitted by the audience were answer- ' fed in a V.ty that, showed the lecturer - was rfn expert on his subjects. ! The thanl.fi of the Society were 1 conveyed to 'Mr. Small for his able, in- < reresting and instructive lecture by the ( President and a hope c'xpressen ‘hat would give- another lecture at no very distant date. On the call of the Mayor (Mr. -J. P. Brandon) a hearty rof ayprecirtrion was ofirried with applause. ;