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I t' \ I I I Ii ,,0 YOU DON'T ..ff I} p Fro qt����:I;;��� , GET ANY '( 11 DEG 1996 ; I)l CLOSER � Nt\, THAN THIS uality. How is it achieved, how is it maintained and what do you do whenQ it comes under threat? Geoff McNamara, author of our many astronomy arti- cles, dropped into the office the other day for a chat about life, the universe and everything. He commented that he enjoyed writing for Nature Australia because of NATURAL KIND its quality. When people take pride and care in their work, always striving to do the best they can and never satisfied with less, then you get quality. But how do you maintain it when budgetary resb·aints and cost cutting demand that you sacrifice something in order to survive? The Ausb·alian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) is currently facing this dilem­ ma - having to cut quality programs in order to achieve the bottom line. As is too often the case, science will be one of the big losers, being left with even fewer vehi­ cles through which it can inform you of the latest in scientific research. The Ausb·alian Museum is to be applauded for its determination to provide an environ­ ment in which such a journal as this one can continue to excel. And most important of all, you, our loyal reader, must also be applauded for placing value in science and the environment. Freycinet Lodge is This issue's Last Word by Professor Tasmania's award winning Eco Tourism Lodge, situated on Ian Lowe, "Censoring Scientific Results", Tasmania's beautiful East Coast inside Freycinet National Park. addresses another serious threat to sci­ Freycinet is truly Nature's playground, and ence, this time from within, that has we invite you to take part in our highly' acclaimed Eco Encounters, been borne out of an ever-shrinking Close Encounters of the Natural Kind - a program of exciting activities including: resource base. Spotted Handfish. f¥;. Whale watching The National Aeronautics and Space 6 Photographic workshops Administration (NASA) is also labouring under budget restrains. But thankfully � Diving they've embraced the World Wide Web, which is where we found the images to roTasmanian devil watching � Bush food encounters illustrate Geoffs latest article, "Did Martians Ever Exist?". We downloaded the � Ornithological encounters images, sent them off to the printer and you can check out the results on page 38. � Orchid encounters Life after death? For a population of Perth Sand Monitors, a cemetery is the only Make Freycinet Lodge part of your place to live. Graham Thompson takes an interesting look at life among the head­ Tasmanian holiday itinerary There's so much to see and do, we can promise you - stones for these graveyard goannas on page 30. Dr Chris Dickman, on the other one day just won't be enough. For bookings phone 0362 57 0 IOI hand, has spent a great deal of time in arid Australia trapping small desert mam­ For more information and a free colour mals. By chance he happened upon a discovery that has major implications for the brochure, send your name and address to: Freycinet Lodge PO Box 225 conservation of these amazing mammals. Kings Meadows 7249 TASMANIA. Follow the trials and tribulations of our eucalypts overseas, meet the unusual Spotted Handfish, learn of the efforts to save our spectacular Richmond Birdwing Butterfly and, in so doing so, continue to support our determination to care about Freycinet Lodge FREYCINET NATIONAL PARK • COLES BAY quality and the importance of communicating science. A WORLD OF I -Jennifer Saunders ATURAL ACTIVITIES } NATURE AUSTRALIA SUMMER 1996-97 1 Articles SUMMERNatur 1996-97 VOLUME 25 NUMBERe 7 Published by The Australian Museum Trust 6 College Street, Sydney, NSW 2000. Phone: (02) 9320 6000 Fax: (02) 9320 6073 Internet:jenny [email protected] Web: http://w ww.austmus.gov.au Trust President: Malcolm Long Museum Director: Desmond Griffin EDITOR Jennifer Saunders, B.Sc. CIENTIFIC EDITOR Georgina Hickey, B.Sc. PHOTO RESEARCHER Kate Lowe DESIGN AND PRODUCTION RICHMOND BIRDWING Watch This! Design The Birdwing Butterfly is one of our most spectacular and, PRINTING where it was once plentiful Excel Printing Company around Brisbane, it is now MARKETING AND SALES rarely, if ever, seen. But the Howard Dimond butterfly is no longer alone Phone: (02) 9320 6331 in its fightfor survival. BY DONSANDS ADVERTISING &SUESCOTI Phone: (02) 9320 6331 SUBSCRIPTIONS 24 Michelle Atzemis GOANNAS Phone: (02) 9320 6119 IN THE GRAVEYARD Toll-free (1800) 028 558 You may think that DID MARTIANS Fax: (02) 9320 6073 maintaining a population of EVER EXIST? Annual subscription (4 issues) goannas in a graveyard would The conditions are so right on Within Australia $A33 Other countries $A45 be dead easy, but it's not! Earth that life seems inevitable. Two-year subscription (8 issues) BY GRAHAM THOMPSON Yet Venus, Earth and Mars Within Australia $A63 Other countries $A83 all started out much the same. Three-year subscription (12 issues) 30 What made Earth different? Within Australia $A89 Other countries $A116 And was there ever New subscriptions can be made by credit card on the NATURE life on Mars? AUSTRALIAtoll-free hotline (1800) 028 558 or use U1e form in BY GEOFF McNAMARA this magazine. If it has been removed, send cheque, money order or credit card authorisation to the address above, made payable to the 'Australian Museum' in Australian currency. All 38 material appearing in NATURE AUSTRALIA is copyright. Reproduction in part or whole is not permitted without written authorisation from the Editor. Opinions expressed by U1e authors are their own and do not necessarily represent the policies or views of the Australian Museum. NATURE AUSTRALIA is printed on archival quality paper suitable for library collections. Published 1996 ISSN-1324-2598 @ NATURE AUSTRALIA (as ANH) is proud winner of the 1987, '88, '89, '90 , '91, '92 & '93 Whitley Awards for Best Periodical, and the 1988 & '90 Australian Heritage Awards. TREES OF THE FUTURE Front Cover Australia's eucalypts have been A close encounter planted extensively overseas. Fast growing and pest resistant, with one of the Sand they are thriving in many Monitors that inhabit countries. But are they miracle Karrakatta Cemetery, trees that should be welcomed, or demons that dry up and five kilometres west kill the land? of Perth's CBD. BY TIM LOW Photo by John Green. 46 2 NATURE AUSTRALIA SUMMER 1996-97 VIEWSFROM THE FO U RTH DIMENSION TICKLING THE DULL OUT OF TAXONOMY What's wrong with a little humour in science? BY MICHAEL ARCHER 70 THE LAST WOR D CENSORING SCIENCE Cost of Being Fat; Divining As funding dries up, science is Turtles; An Evolutionary Dead under threat, but this time it's End; Tent-pitching Bats; Quich from within. Quiz; Repellent and Sunbloch BY.IAN LOWE in One. 6 80 REVIEWS fishing apparatus stuch to the Columns Australian Birds of Prey; VAGRANTS top of its head. It also has the Mammals of the South-west IN THE DESERT dubious honour of being the Pacific and Moluccan Islands; In the struggle for survival first Australian marine fish to Mammals of New Guinea; in one of the driest places on be listed as 'endangered'. The Volcanic Earth; Attracting Frogs to your Garden. Earth, some of Australia's BY PETER R. LAST & small desert mammals have BARRY BRUCE adopted a simple but effective 72 strategy-when things get too 20 SOCIETY PAGE tough they leave. But how do Interested in nature but not they know where to go and just W I L D F O O D S sure what to do or where to go? how far are they capable of Nature Australia's Society Page travelling? THE AMAZING VOYAGES is a great place to start. OF SEA BEANS BY CHRIS R. DICKMAN The seeds of seashore plants 74 54 are among the world's most THE GUIDE remarhable travellers. These Nature Australia's hardy seafarers can set sail for marhet place. Regular Features up to two-and-a-half years and put down roots thousands of 76 hilometres from home. Q&A BY TIM LOW LETTERS Plant Laxatives; Nicotine Kills; 22 Cats Are a Problem; Avian Sex; PH OTOART Flora. 4 TASMANIA IN FOCUS Spectacular close-up photos of NATURE STRIPS a very special place- In a Flap Over Dinner; Lost Tasmania. and Lungless; Surfing Clams; BY JOE SHEMESH Hot Rex?; Careful Rex; Smohing or Non-smohing?; 64 Plants on the Warpath; The THE BACKYARD NATU RA LIST WRENS THROUGH THE EYE OF A SCEPTIC Life around a septic tank may not suit everyone, but for a family of Superb Fairy-wrens it couldn't be sweeter. BY STEVE VAN DYCK 18 RARE & EN DANGERED SPOTTEDHANDFISH This curious bottom-dwelling When Wasps Meet; Tissue­ fishhas fins that resemble curling Spider; Pie Teaser. human hands, likes to 'walk' rather than swim and has a 78 NATUREAUSTRALIA SUM ME R 1996-97 3 tions the killing of small ani­ ting it for many years. I fin mals using tobacco juice the articles interesting a LETTERS (Nature Aust. Autumn 1996). appreciate the humour t Many years ago I was in the writers often show. And, The forum for readers to Kalahari catching snakes for course, it must be one of t air their views about their a museum so had to devise a highest quality magazine pr ductions anywhere in th concerns, past articles and method of killing them with­ out damaging them and also world. My grateful thanks fo interesting personal events. despatching them quickly many hours of pleasure. enough so they did not bite -Penelope Trusco me.
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