TORONTO FIELD NATURALISTS NEWSLETTER Number 327 November, 1979 Y.)I-:}/~}/;),t?·/:~:-: ;~. ···-·.·:· i . :·::::-J .-:-/:-... ... ;-<:.. ~~:\ ''";• •.. ,-••·;::; ,. ·.. ; •.. ':-:..?--- :, t .... ; :. ·:. .·.·. •.•'. r:, •.• . •• I. I I •#,. ; •fV-"::£l-:\\~\ · '•• • • • ........ , •• ~ · •• • ••·r•;!{', ~"Jlr:'°-"c..i · ,. •• .·• • . ••-...:',.·r~r•,..•• ;:· i \ ...._ .. :::;•·: .:~_:,! :• .)·.~!'=,.:~:-· ·... :• ~ :.. ·: .: :-· ·:. ~-.-: -·:.· -: :·- }1·,.:tt:~:rf~~i~~i\·~\~ ._·: ·:_ :-:•::.: .~_ ... _.;-: .' :··. ·.: ..- ~ .·:; . ~ ·. --~~; :- 1~{WP:"t:-. - -- - · ,··-~-= ·- --.. ~ - -~-· . -... -.,.. -·--,·;.,.,_ ·.. -. -. .,=-·•;,•-•t"--:r::-'!--mi'fl.~~--·-, /·... J:~~--' .-..- ·-~ =~t~~'~:,.~I,..J,A>. ~. ,: ...· 1.· =- . : _:.. .-_ ·-.·: ... r.:.. ... ·. ·... :-.. ~:-·:-:~;,::--~~-~-~:::.. 4 • • • • • ...-A>;:•J1'~ljo'I", ..~~'!~\,c':.tc-!>., ,"' t ::: • _/..., • :tSv'~~ -~~l-,•~="'t'~",:<:-,~•"Y.t:,,v~~- • • • . • -· •: •-· • ·.·: ;: _:_ _.._ --~.\~ ·:::.~~i-;:.~•~;?.i;L:· ~ --.ii;;.:-;.,-..-\'·.?~~(~(-;}_-~:·\;~-:_::r~-:.-:::-;:::·~tt-\·:l~~~~ : ·. · ·. · · ·. · · · ._, ~ .-,,~':'?i'~---,-:r.: -·. ~~ •J.;_:~ ·.. -;,,,,,.r-1:.f•~--~..... ~..-.. •• ~~~t~~~\~~~:~::-: •;~,W"•M ~~:I:":~";-:i~~-- ;;,:~~~ ~ _._ --~_:·_--~-:::. }.":: _-·~·:.--.t, , ·:'.~--~_,-,-•.:·-,--1=.-.:):,~-?~?.:~:;':\:~}X-/?.~\~i~:~ •r·••-;•,•.:~~~~~----•--"~~~~1 · · · • · · - - - · · -· :··-· -. ~ ...h,,;;~ t~~:.:2 ;T;!¼l~;1 ,, ~~}~±!~~1~!!i 1:·'<x~~.-,-,J1'JI1!,~ · ,,)~f.~~,...\., ,rff!- - ·•::.,::-~:\:-:~:-.h•l"~~:~~~~#~~.. •J~~~~- · '.:· -:+,_-J;~ ~:-'::.h:i• . , ;, . .'~,-:~,5<- • ~. -7-.-:;:~-.· .• . •::t,i~~/..!\14~1f't~~~bf,:._:~;;!;:J~1~•~.:. · ~.::'.:~: -~ ,.r ,J~,v,,:~\/{'!~ ....•._- ·. "''!..'··- •- ·,-:;~•~;,,1~.i,,:•··- ... _.-,,,.•:. - .• ~·.:f.<;.-i.. 'l!!~~ ••~~-~•~-,,n*~' ~••·}' . ·'··..,;·--..... :-='.:,-·:\.!~~•/!\-.._• ..,.~,.:.:· ::_t?.~~' r~;;,;.. :::-~:tt.~?$.. ~ ·· - -~-: -,c. , ·::~•:·_,:':.;.:;~;~:ci1~;;;;1i1~ .--.,.•,,-•-~•.r.-·,., --~·1~\•. .~- ~... -.,,. .~~-'r•. "1... • •• ·- .-,:- • . -/-i:.-~,-ttg- i:ii:t!ili~~!t~~il~. ,,.__....,.-1:z."'l~.. 1,.~~--' •. ·; ,.-,,.... ~,.:.-J?t\t~~~),~•--.:•;,:?·r-.C,~"f'.?<-'Jli;i~;ig .. ;,,;: .. -·:-·.:. .. •~~?'t!l"l~~t~~~';~.r::. ~: : :: : ·~ ~ .. :·. :_. ·.-:.· :· ·· · -· ;·."'..'::~:•1:•:",,. : .......,, ..._· . ·:t: ..._ ';::~, .;:J.;.~'-~:::. .:.r~.:~..... z·•:• .... ~l'~•f'•.• ~~-. ~ ~ ~ -~. :~:·_.<<:::-~·~:: \·.=_. ;... ;-: .:::-:: : ::~· ~ ____ .• __ ~ .. · · ·.-: :-~ :_ --:·:1";;.~.:.;.·~?:.~;.-~~::~; ~~w~r~:~.::...·::·:::~::::t~~~=1k~ ....... J: ... • Old friends return ••• See page '.3. MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION AND PUBLICATION SALES 83 Joi cey Blvd., Toronto, Ont . M.5M 2T4 or call 488-7)04 . - '~~f! '"~f: , C 0 THI. -~,'?~ UPCOMING-, ~:\ 1"'1- Ul. , l,'/}-'<<fdji/Jf>. - '--'l4f/ lt}~~f @iiJ'f·,,,/' . lJr!J . ... 'kj} ' . ~~- «- l½ ~~~=~., ' - - RAIN oR SHINE EVERY.ONE w'£LC011 'r:/"' '6 .... -,-:,~- • { I ' Saturday MORNINGSIDE PARK - Nature Walk Nov. 3 Leader: Paul Cannon 10 .oo a.:n. Meet in the firot parking lot immediately wett of Morningside Avenue by the pavilion. (Eglinton East 134B bus.) Care. Take 401 eaat to Exit 61, then go south on Morningside one mile. Wedne sday CHATSWORTH RAVINE - Botany Nov . 7 Leader: Emily Hamlton 10.00 a . m. Meet at Duplex and Chatsworth Drive. (Yonge 197 bus to Chatsworth and walk west one block to Duplex.) The walk will terminate at Blythwood Road. Sunday LESLIE STREET SPIT - Birds Nov. 11 Lead.er: Mark Sawyer 2.00 p.m. Meet in the parking area just inside the gatea at the south end of Leslie Street. (~een car to Leslie, walk south about½ mile.) Wed.neaday WILKE'? CREEK PARK - Skyvatching Seriet fl Nov. 14 Leader: Bill Andrews S.00 p.m. Meet at the first parking lot inside th• aouth entrance off Leslie Street just north of Eglinton Avenue. (Letlie 151 bus or Lawrence Ea1t 154 bus from Eglinton subway station. Get off at the stop immediately after the turn on to Leslie.) !ill,: This au.ting is the first of 3. The 2nd will be held at the same place Wedneaday, February 13 at 8.00 p.m.; the 3rd on Wedneadl'JY, May 7 at 8.00 p.m. Sunday LAMBTON WOODS - Nature Walk Nov. 18 Leader: Elmer Talvila 10.00 a.m. Meet at the parking lot of the Jamea Gardens on Edenbridge Drive. (Royal York 173 bua from Royal York atatio• to Edenbridge, and walk east o.4 mile,.) W'ed.ne1day SHERWOOD PA.RX - Nature Walk Nov. 21 Leader: Diana Banville 10.00 a.m. Meet on Blythwood Road at the park entrance. (lortown Eastbound #61 tr9lley from Eglinton station. Bus turns north on Mount Pleaaant. Get off at Blythwood and walk ea1t to park entrance.) Walk will terminate at Bayview Avenue. Sunday ROSEDALE RAVINE - Nature Walk Nov. 25 Lead.er: Helen Juhola 2.00 p.11. Meet at Caatle Frank subway station. Valk will end at Rosedale aubway ate.tion. 2 l(eaders of THE NEWSLETTER are proba1)ly ,:onderin:: vhatover happened to Professor R, U, }Cidden. A card has been received post-marked Strasbourr~ ,mere Prof, Kidden is spending a brief stopover in order to begin a study of the Rhine Oceros. He is travelling right around the world, with about fifteen stopovers, although the main reason for the trip is to visit China and confer with his colleag:ue, Dr, Foo Lini; Yoo. It was five years ae;o that Prof. Kidden and his friend first proposed their revolutionary theory about draeons. 'lhey argue that it is hi~J1ly unlikely that tvio such diverse cultures as Chinese and English would independently invent a mythical animal such as the 'ctrap,;on. (Remember the ler,end of ::,t. George and the dragon?) 'Ihey feel that there must have been a real creature in order for these legends to persist right dovm to the present time. 'Iheir conjecture r:ained a certain amount of credence two years ac;o with the dis­ covery in northern China of fossils entirely different from any previous clinosaur bones. Unfortunately, there were no complete bones but-, ir, s pi t.e of this, these two eminent scientists were able to piece together part of the picture and to modify their theory further, how an entire skeleton has been duG up by Dr , Foo Ling Yoo and Prof. Kidd.en is extremeiy anxious to see it, It is ,,ell known that small amounts of methane r:;as are produced in the c:lip:estive tracts of animals, 'Ihis gas is one of··the Main constituents of natural gas and is produced by rotting vegetation. The phenomenon of "w:i.11-o '-the-wisp" is caused by this gas bubbling up through marshes, The Yoo-Kidden theory is that the c~afons produced unusual quantities of this methane gas, releasinr, just enough to create a flammable mixture of methane and air, ignited by special bristles in the nostrils. They do not feel that the dragons had any natural enemies other than hum.ans such as St. George and contend that the flame-throv-T.i.ng ability was not used as a method of defence hut was, in fact, a mating-display. 1he scientific name Draco flam.mosniratus has been proposed for the species, On his return trip, Prof. Kidden plans to stop over at the Easter Islands in order to study the F.a.ster Seals. '.le wish him success and look for·wa.rd to his return. We hope that he v-J:i.11 permit further release of information about some of his excitinr, projects, Jack Ginv-ich ?d, Note: A more detailed technical paper is available to serious scholars of Kidden theories •••• , •• ---·--------------- THIS MO!-:TH Is COVER. "Old Squaws in Toronto Harbour" - by Owen Fisher The greatest concentration of this species, ClanRula hyemalis, on Lake Ontario is to be seen in November in the Toronto region. For further details, see page 17 of the new Toronto Bird Finding Guide, by Clive f,, Goodv-J:i.n. J A few of MIDSUMMER NIGHT' s those PICNIC June 20, 1979 4 OUTINGS REPORT June_ _?.Q. 1'!idsu,1uner right' s Picnic - about 50 people. A balmy evening. / laura GrAer, J t::; ~~uriel >!i ville and other volunteers coMbinen efforts to . ' ________,., make it a complete : •' \ -\ . success, just a pleasant evening all round. Eot chocolate was served and we meant t~ get a sketch in of '-Jes !:ancock presidine; at the caldron but ·. he was a bit too active. Find r.-:es and other members in the adjacent sketches that we did :nana::;e. :le had music , too. Sept. 2• Woodbine Eea.ch - Laura Greer - 32 people. Warm, de.mp, strong east wind. Due to the windy day very few Monarch butterflies were seen - about 8. i'. few birds: Caspian and common terns, semi-palmated plover and semi-pa.lII18.ted sandpiper. Short billed dowitcher. Sept. 8. Ernest Thompson Seton Park - Diana Banville - 9 people. Sunny with i nter mittent clouds. The group sat on the hillside overlooking the marsh and sketched willows and buildings in the distance, a.s well as flowering and fruiting herbs at close range. The group became very absorbed and produced a number of drawings suitable for publication in the Newsletter. Sept. 9. Highland Creek - Stella Kryzanowski - 3g people. Sunny, l8°C, "gorgeous day1". Asters and goldenrods provided great colour in area beside Lawrence Avenue bridge. This was also a spider's paradise - several observed enveloping grasshop!)ers in their silk. Birds not too evident - included two sandpipers which were not specifically identified, We elso observed devastating erosion occurring within the valley. 5 Outings Report - Cont~nued Sept. l?. Vivian Forest - Jean MacdonAld - 10 people. Warm, sunny, about 23°c. A ple8&ant walk through the Vivian Forest produced a large variety of mush­ rooms. Moat were simply obaerved, A few were collected for examination of identifying char~cteristica, and after lunch these were discussed. Several genera were noted: