Pacific Nature Notes

Written for "PIM" by Charles Barrett, FRZS

“Paradise Island”

rR many Birds-of-Paradise, Little Tobago, an isle of the West Indies, became a Paradise early in this century, when they were liberated there by a nature-lover who was anxious to establish a guarded colony 'of the world’s most beautiful birds. When Collingwood Ingram, a son of the owner of “Paradise Island,” as it might well have been re named, visited the sanctuary in 1913, he was delighted to find that the birds from Aru Islands were flourishing. And, 30 years later, an American visitor reported that they were still there.

A reader at Port Moresby asks me for up-to-date information respecting Little Tobago; enclosing in his letter a news paper cutting, quoting Collingwood Ingram’s account (in “Country Life”), of his father’s unique project, which deserved success and should keep his memory green among bird-lovers the world over.

After his death, Mr. Ingram’s three sons presented the isle to the Trinidad Government, so that the welfare of the Paradise birds passed from private to official hands. I have no later infor mation concerning them than that given by Collingwood Ingram, a few years ago.

He considered that their long residence in the island indicated that they had bred there; in which case they could be regarded as satisfactorily naturalised. It must not be forgotten, however, that the greater Bird-of-Paradise was nrobably a very long-lived species, and it is possible that those still existing on Little Tobago (in 1943) were the ones liberated there in 1909 and 1910.

Wilfred Stalker, who was sent to the Aru Islands by the owner of Little Tobago to collect living birds for the sanctuary, secured only specimens in immature plumage, and doubtless the majority con sisted of young males. There were more than 40 of them—all of the same species, the greater Bird-of-Paradise. Surviving the long sea journey, in 1909, they were liberated on Little Tobago, which is about 1 2- miles from Tobago, and has an area of less than 300 acres: a hilly, rocky isle, covered in dense tropical vegetation, pro viding an almost ideal home in the West Indies for birds from the Dutch East Indies.

There are some island sanctuaries in the Pacific. Many more are needed, to ensure the survival of birds and mam mals and plants that are becoming scarce.

New Zealand has done well in per manently reserving such islands as Resolution (Taumoana), Kapiti, and Little Barrier as sanctuaries for native animal and plant life. Bellbirds and tuis are safe in sea-girt haunts, where one may hear their enchanting “community singing,” and recall Capt. Cook’s descrip tion of a New Zealand bird concert, heard from the deck of the barque “Endeavour.”

Cook was hardly a nature-lover, but he had an ear for wild music, and listened-in with delight to bird songs broadcast from the forest of a strange new land.

The Tuatara

ISLAND sanctuaries have saved the tuatara, most interesting of all living reptiles, from the fate of the moas and the dodo. On rocky isles off the coast of New Zealand the “living fossil” lives on, and its kind, unique in the world, may survive for another century, or longer.

Descendants of the pigs introduced by Capt. Cook were number-one enemies of the tuatara on the main islands; also on many of the small ones, and for years

past it has been restricted to the few haunts where it enjoys protection as strict and effective as that which pre served for posterity Australia’s wonder animal, the platypus, another “living fossil.”

The late Dr. Frank Blanchard and his wife (also a PhD), of Ann Arbor Uni versity, after their visit to Australia, in quest of reptiles, went to New Zealand, chiefly for the purpose of studying the tuatara “at home.” On Stephen Island, in Cook Strait, they had a glorious time, despite discomforts and hazardous land ing and departure. A permit from the Department of Internal Affairs meant that the Museum of the University of Michigan would be enriched by a specimen of Sphenodon, the tuatara of the Maoris —but only one. The New Zealand Gov ernment properly values the Dominion’s unique little reptile, and even Zoological Gardens in other lands may vainly desire specimens: their export, alive or dead, be ing prohibited. This is highly commend able.

The Blanchards, with whom I went snake-hunting in Victoria, being true scientists, made their Stephen Island ex pedition memorable for themselves —and interesting to others —by their writings.

They took excellent photographs of Sphenodon, and made valuable obser vations on its habits, its underground living quarters and association with petrels.

Most generalised, in its anatomy, of all known kinds of living reptiles, the tua tara is not, as many people suppose, a lizard —though lizard-like in appearance.

It is, Dr. Blanchard says, as closely re lated to the tortoises as it is to the lizards; and may, as some authorities think probable, have directly given rise to the tortoises and crocodiles.

From true lizards it differs in many anatomical features; and it possesses the “pineal eye,” a functionless organ, on the top of the head.

Once upon a time —before Government protection ended the traffic—tuataras were sent overseas in numbers, and London dealers in live animals sold them at prices ranging from 20/- to 30/apiece. Market value increased to about £l5 soon after an embargo was placed upon export, and only a few smuggled specimens could reach England—if there were any smuggling—and dealers’ Spheno don stocks became low, soon to be exhausted.

Having seen only two or three living specimens, and those in captivity, I am unable to confirm statements that the tuatara has an “ear for music,” and prefers a rousing chorus to a solo! A report published in a Dominion news paper, some 40 years ago, says that tuataras at the Opawa fisheries would emerge from their holes in the rocks to listen to a song when nothing else would bring them into the open. Some visitors, on one occasion, were giving up hope of seeing the wonder reptiles, when a small girl commenced to sing, and all joined in the chorus of “Soldiers of the Queen.”

Very soon, the tuataras appeared, and, of course, it was believed that the sing ing, loud if not too musical, had lured them forth.

Tree-Frogs

THROUGH Spenodon ranks first among reptiles as a primitive, there are scores of others among Pacific Islands of great interest —both snakes and lizards; while some of the most remarkable frogs belong to the Pacific world.

My own special interest is in tree-

Communications from Nature students in the Pacific Islands are welcomed by our contributor—Mr.

Charles Barrett, “Maralena,” Mays bury Avenue, Elsternwick S 4, Victoria.

frogs. I have kept several species as pets in my glasshouse and the bushhouse, where they seemed to be happy enough.

Gren tree-frogo among the orchids helped to control pests; besides, they were enter taining, and some kinds rather musical.

By the way, I was once the lucky owner of a “singing” frog from China; and found that it really deserved its reputation as a music maker, though some of my musical friends were not impressed by its oft repeated little song.

The big emerald-green tree-frog (it grows to a length of about four inches) makes a good pet. No fewer than five lived for several years in my glasshouse; and were as tame as you please, sometimes jumping on to my shoulder, or my head (luckily, I am not bald). Most of the daytime, the Hylas spent squatting on broad leaves whose colour harmonised with that of their emerald green bodies, so that they were camouflaged. Towards nightfall, my pets became active, on the food quest.

The large green Hyla enjoys a wide range, being found in Australia as well as New Guinea.

A queer-looking customer is the toothed frog, of the Solomon Islands, named after a noted authority on the reptiles and amphibians—Dr. Gunther. Should you come across one of these frogs, with “horns” —flaps of skin—projecting above its eyes, and one from the end of its snout, handle it cautiously, for it bears teeth in both jaws, and is ready to use them.

Among New Guinea frogs are several kinds whose tadpoles are never seen wriggling around in swamps and pools— never seen at all, unless one opens up eggs. The change from tadpole into frog takes place within the egg!