F 1mt*] Mknucopxeal Grot? 17* 



The lecture for the February meeting is entitled ''Marine Life under tlie 

 Microscope" and will be a combined effort ©f Club members. All are asked 

 to bring then microscopes, as slices will l>e provided tot exhibition The 

 .Marine Biology Group is specially invited to be present. Several speakers, 

 including maiine specialists Mrs. Frcame and Mr. R. F ukey, will brier!?- 

 uUi'udurr the nutu-cruus exhibits. 



The Afareh meeting will take the form Of a demons! ration outlining 

 teidinwnje in the iir^Lutfation of rock s-exitous. hr Hie niirroscape., by Mr. U. 

 Mclnnes. 



NATURALISTS' NOTEBOOK 



\ Reserved for your Note; Observations <ind Queues ' 



CAMOUFLAGE AND BLUFF 



Protective coloration has been recognized by naturalists the world over ior 

 a very long time- Two striking examples we»*e *>rougUr to »>iy notice port 

 long ago. 



On a visit to "The Shack" indication* pointed to the fact thai a ffciir of 

 Spur-winged trovers were nesting in fl swampy flat about nneTuirtdrrd yards 

 av^ay. This marshy tract was much frequented by cattle and its surface *a& 

 deeply jioek-niarked by their hooves. The nest was just a slight depression on 

 a low grassy mound and contained three eggs. 



Invest (Rations imi a latei tnj> disclosed that incubation had been recently 

 completed, a:; only empty broken shells remained As the parent birds \vcre 

 slitt c*mtming their activities to a rather limited area, ihc inference was that 

 the young were not far away. Binoculars enabled us 10 pick them unl in- their 

 dark dull attire -so different from that of the adults, but it was soon obvious 

 that wily "two little nigger-boys were lelt out of three". 



Being ajucfolts to liSVe a really ciose-up view of the new arrivals we decided 

 id adopt a special form til campaign. Waiting fiatieiitly until the family of four 

 Ua4 worked then way to a convenient position on the edge ol the bog, while 

 J kepi an eye on proceedings, another of out party moved our suddenly fram 

 cover. Instantly the old couple exploded into the air uttering their alarm 

 notes T fondly imagined that, with the visual aids J was using, 1 had 

 accurately pin-pointed the location of one of the babies; nevertheless, keen 

 eyesight plus some little lime were required to detect its liidiinjpkwc- Words 

 dre inadequate to describe how well the colour and even the shape of thai 

 immature plover blended into its surroundings. It was crouched flat with head 

 and neck outstretched and eyes tightly cloWjd in a moist depression agamst 

 a background of dark, sandy loam. So effectively did its plumage match the 

 damp ground thai U w*s indeed difficult to see it even alter one realized that 

 it tvas there. The camouflage was to all intents and purposes perfect. T &honM 

 hke to record also that even when placed on ihe palm of one's hand rbe baby 

 tonliuuect lo maintain that "dead" attitude. 



fn the second cave i should like |o memion, concealment was not attempted 

 ami in place of sombre tones* loud colours were used purely to frighten or |*> 

 bluff, Out on a hike someone exclaimed "What's tb.it?" "Thai 1 ' happened 10 

 he a wingless female of a Mountain Grasshopper, a hunch-backed ugly insect 

 about an incb long and the colour of old straw* which, when annoyed (and 

 she certainly was) raises her elytron to display an abdomen brightly banded 

 in rings of hlu<\ rert, white plftd black, lu addition, to increase her repulsive- 

 ness, she protrudes a brilliant orange collar round lie*' head. 1 am Mire t!>e 

 *tomacli <n any respectahre, even if hungry, bird would turn" at the ntC*'c 



Sight of her. 



— R M. WrsHART. 



