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D~1lI'4 ft.,el'" BirdOg-',t Dopt. ~~. U II.

NEWFOUNDLAND NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

THE

OSPREY Vol. 5 No.7 November 1974

Osprey Editorial .... . . . ..• .. . .. . . . . . .••... . . ' ....•.• 115 Report on the Fourth Annual Meeting of the Canadian Nature Federation, London, Ontario . . .••.•.. 115 Flora News .•. . .......•• . .. . . . . . .... .. .. . ......•. . ... 116 FlosculouB Snippets •. ••. . .. .... . . •• ........ . .....•.. 117 Cataracts Park , Moss Foray .. . ..• • ••.. . .. . . . ........ . 11 8 Rotifers •. .... .. . .. . •• . ....... .. • . .. . . ............. ]19 Bird Notes .• . .•.•• .. • . •••.. .• , ..• .. .• . .•.•.... . .•• 121 The Insects - 9 .. . .. . . ... . •• .... ..... . .•... .. . . ...•. 122 Maritime Shore Birds Survey . . . . .......• .. .....•• '" .123

DECEMBER MEETING

Reminiscence of a Trip by Ed . Ralph, 8.15pm Thursday,December 12th , Coughlan College

• THE NEWFOUNDLAND NAn'RAL IIISTORY SOClI!rY

P. O. 80 .. 1013

ST. 10f1N'S, NEWFOllNDLAND AI,- 15M3

The Execut':ve t\)r 191~-75

President Peter Scott 1~_ -1323 Past-pres dent Joan Scott 1~~-5925 Vice-pres dent-, Ruth Iolaunder 126-6828 "'reasurer P.D . P. Smith 519-0902 Secretary Claire Neville-Sm:Ltb 1'2-2619

')rdlnary Members Charles DavIs 895-6919 • Marlene Hooper 753-Q.nQ Charles Horwood c;~9-6983 Tan Northcott c;7fi~23,

Donna Todd 726-9)91

Edl tor of the Osprey Alan Whitl ick 753_26 Ed! torial Address Department of Blo1:-gy 753-1200

Memorial Univers. ty Ext 3232 of Newfoundland, "t. Johns.

Meetings for 1974 - JIS

November 21 Fred Pollet lcomaps

Decel")er l:l Ed. Ral~h RC!:lini8('eQ~e c! a ri;)

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In past issues of the Osprey the Bird News section has been a regular feature reflecting the abilities and enthusiasm of the"Blrd People" in the NaturalHistory Society. Many of their sightlngs have been of great interest to local naturalists and the Osprey has served to inform them about birds of which they might otherwise have been unaware. The science of Ornithology is one in which the amateur can still play an important role especially 1n reporting the distribution of species, it is, however, important that these observations are permenantly recorded. The Osprey,along with ita thousands of brother and sister publications throughout the world, serves such a recording function snd it is important that it continue to do so. It is , however, COUUJIon knowledge that the c urrent editor can barely tell the difference between a Robin and a Junco and all shore birds look alike. I feel therefore t hat I can hardly do credit to this section and John Wells has vo~nteered to co l lect and collate all bird information and pass it on to me in a processed form ready for publication. John will no doubt be getting in contact with people in the near future and has promised a Bird News for the next iSBue , which will hopefully bring us up to date with what has been seen this fall. If you have any bird information would you please send it to John, his address is :

John Wells, 20, Cornwall Cres. St. Johns, 579-5921

Report on the Fourth Annual Meeting of the canadian Nature Federation , London, Ontario ( Aug. 21-25, 1974)

A large number of topics were considered both by the Board of Directors and the general membership and only the highlights can be considered here. If information is wanted on other topiCS , please contact us.

The first priority continues to be the building up of membership in the federation. Thus., the central activity remains the production of Natur e Canada on the asaumption that this will draw in more members. In fact membership has increased from 2000 in 1972 to almost 15,000 today.

Finances continue to be a problem , but have improved conSiderably. A fund raising campain run by the Federation, will be undertaken in the next year. If successful this should solve the finanacial problems for some time to come.

With a certain measure of stability attention has started to shift toward other matters. The most important of these are a youth program. establ ishment of policy, and aquisition of natural areas.

It was decided to proceed with a youth program and a committee has been established to show how this would best be implemented and integrated into the existing Ha ture Federation. If anyone, particularly if they are young, have ideas on this subject. please submit them and we will forward them to the commi ttee.

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policy 8ta~::e!~~O:~~~~ ~:~!S~~n r:::i:d~h!h:~p:!;~r~f o!w~O!~~~d!':f ~~:mal e Board of Directors. There was cons iderable discussion 8S to how the individual and institutional members i.e . Newfoundland Natural HIstory Society, could make their views known within the Federation . While formal resolutions at the A.G.M. have been rejected, it was recommended that individuals and institutions could and should communicate with the president and head office .

The federation has reversed its previous stand and is now in favour of the aqulsition of natural a reas . How this will be implemented is 8S yet uncertain.

It should be pointed out that the recommendations of the Atlantic Naturalists Policy Session were received favourably and, as is evident from the above, undoubtably had an important influence on the"lc decisions.

The report would not be complete if we did not thank the Mcllwraith Field Naturalists Club for arranging t he conference 1n London. The planning was done by a committee of 12 chaired by Mrs . Inch. During the period of the conference they had people at the desks from 8.10 8m anJ provided leaders for trips. chairpeople etc. as well as arranging for various exhibits.

They spent one year on the arrangements anJ discovered that two years were needed to apply for certain grants, so this year the C.N.F. is trying to make plans for 1976. By then the conference will have been to

~~~n~~:~o~O!!V!!!:J a:k!; ~~n~~~i~~:iy i:o!:~~e~o i~!~~~~!S~:;Cf~d::!~~:n ~o come to Newfoundland for the 1976 Confer ence.

This 1s a great idea as well as being quite a challenge for a small group like us. We hope that a few peop l e will let us know that they also t hink that it is s great idea so that we can depend on lots of help in making it

Don Steele. Joan Scott .

There are a few reports o f plants this time. There are late flowering dates, and a record height, and a bumper crop.

We have had a good fall for plants and many species are still in bloom in early November. Glen Ryan reports that the Northeastern Rose (Rosa niUda Willd.) was still in bloom on October 14 , 1974 at Cape Bonavista. The Coumon Buttercup (~ ac r b L.) was seen in bloom at Cape St. Francis on November 10, 1974 by Peter J. Scott.

Mrs. A. C. Hunter of St. John's reports a specimen of Winter Cress or Wild Hustard Barbarea vulgaris R. Br.) that grew in her garden this year and reached a height of 39 J 4" at maturity.

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Whole hillsides at Cape St. Francis seemed rusty because of a huge c r op e of cones on the White Spruce (Plcea glauca (Moench) Voss).

Peter J . Scott

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Autumn Leaves 117

Flosculous Snippets

It is that time of year when the land is vibrant with colour. The leaves bid a glorious farewell and then carpet the ground. The air of the woods and wayside has a pungent scent which, with the crispness of the autumn, makes a walk so enjoyable. It is a time of the year that encourages a pensive mood. The whole of Nature is preparing for that harsher season - winter - and we think on this as we stroll and sample the bounty of fruit.

There are two basic factors of the environment which cause plants to go dormant. The autumn dormancy which we are witnessing now is brought on by short days and/or lower temperatures. For the woody plants, people think that shorter days are the cue for them to go dormant. The de­velopment of the dormant winter buds and the appearance of autumn colours and loss of leaves are two different pro-

Buds that we see on twigs in the winter are tiny growing shoots consisting of unelongated branches, unexpanded leaves,and, often, minia­ture flower buds; all enclosed in tough bud scales. These buds are sometimes formed by midsUlllDer, although they may grow a bit mre in the late sUI!ID.e r before they become completely dormant.

Leaves carryon their maximum rate of photosynthesis when they are fully expanded . As autumn approaches they become senescent . Senescence involves a change in the chemistry of the leaf - the amount of starch, chlorophyll , protein, and certain other con­stituents dec r eases. Their decline occurs becsuse they breakdown and then are transported to the younger regions of the plant .

The brilliant autumn colours are there all through the sUIlllDer. It is just that they are masked from view by the chlorophyll which is involved in the process of photosynthesis. In the autumn, as was just mentioned . the chlorophyll br eaks down and reveals the glory

of colour that was there all along. The yellow and orange colours are due to carotenoid pigments. The bright red colours are due to anthocyanin pigments.

The final act before complete dormancy for the long winter months is the falling of the leaves. The parting

of the leaves from the branch is called abscission. Before the leaves fall. a waterproof layer is laid down in the petiole near the branch. This layer seals off the 'stump ' when the leaf falls off and protects the plant against excessive water loss and from the entry of disease-causing organisms. The laying down of this special layer is under the con­trol of a hormone .

The herbaceous plants also undergo changes of various kinds in preparation for winter. Then all the plants wait for a good layer of snow to protect them from the ravages of fluctuating tem­peratures during the winter.

Peter J. Scott

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Cataracts Park , Moss F o ray

Dr. Guy Brassard ' $ t alk on Mosses and Liverworts of Newfoundland , at the Society ' s September meeting (19/, ) was followed by a fie l d t ri p to Cataracts Park on Sunday Sept . 22. By 11:30 A . M. seventeen people had found their way to the park. Some had taken Dr. Brassard's advice seriously, that rubber boots were not n eeded, others, like myself , had considered it a reminder that they were needed. It turned out that the advice could be taken seriously. the path was excellent and u n less you wanted to go wading in the river the chances of keeping your feet dry were very good. By lunch time t he wind had calmed and it was good to sit and bake in t h e sun . Blueberries for dessert for those with excess energy ~ l'le found other berries too, large a n d sma l l cranberry and creeping snowberry.

Time before and after lunch was devoted mainly to the topic of the day , the mosses and liverworts. Represent ­atives for sixteen genera of mosses and at least six genera of liverworts were pointed out to us by Dr. Brassard, for some genera several species were found . Although many of the species still remain look-alikes to me, it was a pleasure to r ealize that i t is possible for a non-specialist to recognize representatives -C;f at least some of the genera , the easiest probably being the staircase moss and the plu e moss . The most b eautiful si g ht of the day was perhaps the filtered sunl i ght on a b i g patch of staircase moss, the light emphasizing the delicate order of the individual plants.

From beauty on the ground to beauty in the sky; we were also fortunate to see a bald eagle for several minutes , soaring somewhat norc h of the park .

Bodil Larsen

Representatives of the follo wing ge n era were found in Cataracts Park , 22/9 - 74 :

And r eaea Ath r icum Bartramia (Applemoss) Dicranum (Broom moss) Diphyscium (Stemless bug moss) Fissidens (Boat moss) Fontinalis (Water moss) Hylocomium (Staircase moss) Mnium Pleurozium (Schr~ers moss) Polytrichum (Hair cap moss) Ptilium (Plume moss) Rhacomitrium (wooly moss) Rhytidiadelphus

Sphagnum (Peat bog moss) Tortella

Liverworts

Bazzania Diplophyllum Frullaria Pellia ptilidium Scapania

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119

ROTrrERS

Although you do need a microscope in order to see them(since they generally range in size from 100,. to 500,.) the study of routers can be a fascinating occupation.One advantage is that they are easily captured . A handful of wet , or even just damp,moss;s jar of water from a ditch or pond.wet sailor plants from the edges of a stream or lake­all are good sources of these "wheel animals" . Although they cannot survive without water in which to live. rotifers are found in nearly any location which contains even a small amount of water.Most are fresh­water species,but there are a few marine ones .

The Phylum Rotifers is composed of two main groups. The first is

. __________ corona the Bdelloidea,an order of creep­

FIG. 1 Habrotrocha lata

-----8 tomach with food

pellets

A typical Bdelloid Rotifer

Swimming position

ing species. though mos t of them can swim as well. Using their toes (Yes, Rotifers have toes!) which produce a sticky sub­stance,and cilia at the anterior end which grip by suction, Bdelloids creep with a leech­like movement. This enables them to survive in thin films of water in the moss and soil where they are so often found . All rotifers have the ability to contract their bodies,but since Bdelloids have no stiff lorica, and a very flexible cuticle, they become virtuall~' unrecognizable when contracted . (See FIG. 2) . This , plus their tendency to contract on the slightest provocation , of ten provides a great des I of frustation for their observer! If you' re patient, though, they usually re-sume activity shortly.

FIG. 2 Habrotrocha lata

contraCted--

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The remainder of the Rotifers are included in the Honogononta,a class containing the sessile rotifers,those with loricas,and 000-

loricate species which do not have a leech-like mode of crt:.eping. Host Rotifer species found in the plankton are in this class .Many of the Monogononta have a rigid loriea,some of which are beautifully sculptured and. unlike the Bdelloids . are easily recognizable when the animal is contracted. There 1s a wide variety of structural shapes and forma in this group. (See FIG. 3)

---lorica

SqU8tinella

mutlca

FIG. 3

Lecane flexilis

Some loricate species of Honogononta

The various names that have been given to this group of anima!s­Rotlfera.Rotatoria,wheel animals- have all originated because of the corona, an organ organ of both feeding and locomotion,which consiats of groupa of rapidly waving cUia.In the Bdelloidea,it usually resembles two rotating wheels(See FIG. 1). It was from this group that tbe whole phylum received its name.In other RotHers,the corona is more variable.It may form a single circular shape,a large field of cUia,or be reduced to a few tuft- like groups of cUia. (See FIG. 4)

The corona ia,in many Rotifers,used both for locomotion, by acting as a propeller,and for feeding. In feeding, the whirling cilia channel particles of organic detritus, the food source of many RotHers, into the mouth,which is just below or in the centre of the corona. Some Rotifers,

~~de~:~ t~~!n~a~~~~o ~~~~. ~:i~~oi~~~~. ~~~~; ~~Ute ~~l:*a ~~~ ~~d::e~~ th jaws.or mastax . This structure is peculiar to Rotifers.though it. too. varies from group to group . (See FIGS . l,3,4) It contains hard parts called trophi,which are usually fitted with interlocking ridges,or teeth , that serve to grip and grind the food. The mastax can usually be readily seen through the colourless cuticle.and in a live RotHer.the food particles can be watched as they pass through the corona,mastax. and oesophagus to the stomach .

For most of the year.Rotifers inhabit a monosexual world,and the only individuals to be seen are females. Males are known in only 1/5 of all RotHer species.and have never been found in the Bdelloidea.Host reproduction in the Rotifera is therefore asexual.When males do

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appear,they are present for only a ShOlt period of time,ranging from a few hours to a few days. They are reducpd.ln sizeJ 8s well as in sr.ructurt> • to not much more than a swimming bag of ", perm , bearing very little resemblance to the female of the same species.

gphalodella species

Unknown Species

(non-loricate)

ColureUa ObCUS8

Fig . 4 More Monogononta Species

For those people interested in reading more about Rotifers,and pecha?!: trying some identification, the HUN library has a small general book Rocifers , by Josef Donner,snd there is a very good chapter on them in F~r Biology, 2nd Edition,by Ward and Whipple , edited by W.T.Edmondson. These very active little creatures are guaranteed to keep you occupied for hours.

L . Bateman

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Ruddy Duck, 1 male observed Oct. 19 at Quidi Vtdi Lake; Surf Scoter,l fema!'" 8_t L~gy Bay. Oct. 12; 2 females at Cape Spear , Oct . D, amoung eommon SLate,s.

Whimbrel, 1 at Cape Spear, Sept.22. Great Crested Fly Catcher, 1 at Cape Spea r, Oct. 20. Observed at close range for over one hour . Lapland LongspllT, at Logy Bay, Oct . 19.

M.M. Pannenter.

Shoal Harbour, Triniey Bay Sept. 29, 17 Semi-palma ted Plovers; Random Island Cause.....ay,Sept. 29 , 5 Semi-palma ted Plovers and 4 Black-bellied Plovers; Lamaline, July 19, 6 Whimbrels; St Pauls Inlet, August 12, 15 Black-bellied Plovers, 1 Golden Plover; Mouth of Castor River ( No rthern Peninsula) Aug. 14, 7 Lesser Yellowlegs, also there were small numbers of Greater Yellowlegs seen in numerous localities.

L.M. Tuck and P. Elias

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The Insects - 9

Order Thysanoptera

This is another small Order of very small insects, corrm:m1y called "thrips" mostly not more than 2 - 3 nm. long, but they are sometimes very numerous and some of them are important plant pests. They are often found sitting i n

large nurrbers on washing which has been hung out to dry and they frequently get into people's eyes. Most people on ly notice them on such occasions. The adults have four wings, which are narrow and strap l ike, with a fringe of long hair as shown in the drawing. Many minute insects have wings l ike this and presumably this this type of structure ;s best for small creatures to use for flying, but the aerodynamic principles involved have not been invest igated

The mouthparts are modified for sucking, but less so than those of the Siphunculata. The mandibles are stylet-li ke, and usually the left mandible is lost, so that they are asyrrmetrical. Each maxilla is represented by one stylet and the labium fonns the tube through which food is sucked up. These structures are so fine that a stereomicroscope is needed to see them; do not expect to be able to make out much with a hand lens . Both nymphs and adults feed in the same way. Most thrips feed on plants, sucking sap and other plant juices or eating pollen. and they are sometimes very numerous in flowers, especially in

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~~~~~~~o~~ ~~~ ~a~~~:~ . o/~:n:~~~ ~~~s~a~~r~~ ~!~~\;i~~~~!, t~:in~a:~ ~~i~Vi_ e positor. The first two instars feed, but the thi r d and fourth, called prepupa and pupa. do not. This foreshadows the appearance of a resting pupal instar characteristic of the Endopterygota,and suggests that the n lysanoptera are 1ntennediate between them and the Exopterygota.

The most troublesome thrips in temperate regions are those that infest greenhouses, e. g. Heliothrips which lives out-of-doors in warmer parts of North America but i n greenhouses in the north. Thrips tabaci is the onion thrips which attacks on10ns, tobacco . beans and many other plants.

Order Hemi ptera.

This is a very l arge group, of more than 56,000 species and includes a 1 arge number of economically-important 1 nsects. probably more than any other Order. These are the insects that can more properly be called "bugs", with suctorial mouthpart s , that feed by sucking the juices of plants or animals. Many of the important species are plant feeders, but some blood-sucking bugs transmit diseases to human beings.

t1)(

Section through ·'8ug" mouthparts

. Hemiptera can be recognised by their mouthparts. WhlCh fonn a beak beneath the head, called the rostrum. The beak consists of the labium, which is holl owed out on its upper side, fonning a trough in which 1 i e 4 stylets, 2 representing the rnanidibles and 2 t he max­illae. These stylets are as thick as fine hai r s, and The two maxillary stylets have each 2 grooves running •

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along their inner faces . They are held together, 50 that two channels are fanned, a sa l ivary channel down which saliva is passed into the tissues and a feeding channel up which liquid food is sucked. The feedinq st.vlets of .. mall bugs, e . g. aphids, are much finer than the finest man made probes. and have been used by botanists to investigate the conducting tiSSues of plants by allowing aphids to insert their stylets, then cutting the animal away. leaving these fine tubes embedded in the plant.

Hemiptera have 2 pairs of wings, though some are wingless and some indeed spend most of their 1 ives irmtOvably fixed to one part of a plant. Most of them are terrestrial, but there is a number of aquatic representa­tives, some of which are well-known in Newfoundland.

sep!~a~:k~u~~~e~:~ie~h~o ff~~io~; ~h!h~!ie~~~~!~:~ !~~c~e:~~ie~: :~b};~t of the next article.

J . Phipps

Maritime Shore Birds Survey 1974 Records for Renews, Newfound land.

Species July Aug. Aug. Aug. Sept. Sept. Oc t. 21st. 4th. 17th. 31st. 15th. 28th. 12th.

Piping Plover Semi-palma ted Plover 21 19 20 Kildeer Golden Plover Black-bellied Plover 11 12 Ruddy Turnstone 5 2 Woodcock Common Snipe Whimbrel Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Willet Greater Yellowlegs 12 Lesser Yellowlegs Knot Purple Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper White- rumped Sandpiper Leas t Sandpiper Dunlin Dowitcher Stilt Sandpiper Semipalma ted Sandpiper 24 24 11 18 Hudsonian Godwit Sanderling 28 Red Phala rope Northern Phalarope Unidentified

The blank spaces are absences . 1'h

P.J. Scott.

Oc t . 26th .

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