At our barbles, don't be You've got to be joking! surprised to see the odd Never been more serious. You see. unlike the bazas and drongos that you baza and drongo or just a probably associate with outdoor eating, ours have feathers. And the barbies aren't in backyards. few old bustards. In fact they're located in some of the most beautiful places on this Earth. Such as the New England National Park. A magnificent place to chomp on a chop, surroundedby rainforest and right on the edge of the Dorrigo Plateau. And home to the Eastern Bazas and Spangled Drongo plus countless other varieties of feathered and furred fauna inthis subtropical wonderland. As for our bustards, both old and young, you'll need to head west to Mootwingie, Kinchega, Sturt and Mungo. all of which offer excellent locations for a snack in the wide open spaces. N.S.W. has some extraordinary National Parks and they're there for us all to enjoy. But it wasn't always like that. Which is why the Foundation was formed. Who is the Foundation? Our full title is the National Parks and Wildlife Foundation of NSW, a non-governmentorganisation made up of members from every section of the community. We do not run national parks. The management and control of national parks is carried out by the National Parks and Wildlife Service; a government body financed from State funds. The foundation was instigated in 1970 when it became clear that the money required to save our unique animals and plants and to conduct research programmes was well beyond the reach of government funds. In effect, we provide funds for the Service by financing projects jointly formulated by the Foundation and the Service. However, being a non-government body the Foundation reserves the right to make the final decisions on all expenditures. They're welcome to join It's what you might call the people's way of becoming involved in national parks - a way in which everyone us. So are you. can play a positive role in the preservation of our natural heritage. ------I Please accept my application-- for membership--- as: -..I And we don't sell s, u pporter;,- £ n . I ncl ud es,c: ree rarks ntry rerm,t 'Save the Drongo' stickers. I Coo-eeMagazine, Parks & Wildlife News $28 0 I with Kosciusko National Parl< I Not a bad idea really ••• But that's not our role. I Winter Entry Permit $35 0 Rather than talking about what should be done, we just Friend- I quietly go ahead and do it. Like the Lord Howe Island I Includes Free ParksEntry Permit. Woodhen programme which literally saved these birds Quarterly copies of GEO, Coo-eeMagazine, I from extinction. I Parks & Wildlife News. $40 D And if you've ever taken one of the many guided tours with Kosciusko National Park I with a Seasonal Ranger during the holidays then you've I see the Foundation's funds at work. Through this Winter Entry Permit $4 0 7 I programme, countless thousands have discovered first I And/Or my donation to help preseroe our national heritage D hand the mystery and the magic of our National Parks. I And it's totally funded by the Foundation. I Cheque enclosed for 0 Debit my Bankcard I I Become a member I I I I I IT I '��I.__I .L.-.L-_.__.._I__.I.__. I ExpiryDate ______________ I and you 're in for a treat! I Signature______________ I Name _____________ I Address I I Mail today to: TheChief Executive National Parks & Wildlife I I Foundationof NSW L --------GPOBox 2666SYDNEY NSW ---- 2001 I 19 Jf\t{\987 \ \' Australian Natural History EDITORIAL Published by arctica is undertaken by the Hobart­ The Australian Museum Trust o commemorate the fiftieth 6-8 College Street, year of the Australian Antarctic based Antarctic Division (part of the Sydney, N.5.W. 2000 Territory, the bulk of this issue Department of Science), for whose Phone: (02) 339 8111 T assistance in the production of this fea­ of Australian Natural History is Trust President: Robyn Williams devoted to Antarctica. The Antarctic ture we are extremely grateful. It is Museum Director: Desmond Griffin Treaty was signed by Australia and 11 refreshing to see that Antarctica, such EDITOR other nations in 1959, which neither a large and unique area of the world, Fiona Doig supported nor denied existing ter­ is being utilised in the search for know­ SCIENTIFIC EDITOR ritorial claims and its terms effectively ledge; but disappointing to see the Georgina Hickey, B.Sc. meant that Antarctica could only be overexploitation of marine life, which CIRCULATION John McIntosh used for peaceful purposes. threatens the continued existence of many species. Ultimately, however, ART DIRECTION With sovereignity no longer a stum­ watch This! Design bling block, it provided an impetus for these problems should be overcome TYPESETTING the exchange of scientific information with the unity of the nations under the Rochester Communications Group Ply Ltd between these nations. treaty. FILM WORK Australian scientific research in Ant- -Fiona Doig, Editor F.M.F. Colour Creations Ply Ltd PRINTING RodenPrint Pty Ltd Contents ADVERTISING ARTICLES Jean Barnet Antarctica's frozen Past 98 {02) 939 6263 Patrick Quilty {02) 339 8234 Iced With Life 102 SUBSCRIPTIONS Harvey Marchant, Rod Seppelt, Fiona Doig Annual subscription {4 issues) Understanding Ice Dynamics 110 Within Australia SA 13.00 Ian Allison Other countries SA 15.00 floating Giants 112 Two-year subscription (8 issues) Trevor Hamley Within Australia SA25.00 formulating the Future 116 Other countries SA30.00 Patrick Quilty For renewal or new subscription please More to the Mantis than Meets forward credit card authority or cheque the Eye 138 made payable to: Pamela Maitland The Australian Museum Who Gives a fig? 140 P.O. Box A285 Sydney South Tim Low N.S.W. 2000, Australia POSTER ARTICLE Subscribers from other countries please note that money must be paid in The Lesser Long-eared Bat 123 Australian currency. Harry Parnaby All material appearing in Australian RARE & ENDA 1GERED Natural History is copyright. 124 Reproduction in whole or in part is not Norfolk Island Green Parrot Neil Hermes permitted without written authorisation from the Editor. WILD FOODS Opinions expressed by the authors are Wonderful Weeds 126 their own and do not necessarily Tim Low represent the policies or views of the Australian Museum. FORUM The Editor welcomes articles or Dolphins in Captivity 128 photographs in any field of Australian Laura Mumaw natural history. PHOTOART Published 1986. Diamondscapes 133 Bill Sechos and Rudy Weber ISSN-0004-9840 VINCENT SERVENTY Front Cover Birds of the Reef 136 The delightful Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica), aptly named for REGULAR FEATURES the black band that extends under its Letters 119 chin, is one of several species of Quips, Quotes & Curios 120 penguins that breed in and around Books 130 Antarctica. Photo: F. Gohier, Auscape. Robyn Williams 132 Subscription Coupon 143 AUSTRALIAN ATURAL HISTORY 97 p A s T Antarctica's frozen past ntarctica has not always been the way it now is. Over the last 0 billion years it has been subject to three separate ice ages; it has been to the tropics; it has been covered by forest; and it has supported a considerable plant and animal population both onshore and offshore. Antarctica is made up of two vastly different parts. The larger area, often called Greater or East Antarctica, consists of an old, stable landmass, most of which falls in the eastern hemis­ phere. It is roughly semicircular with the base of the semicircle marked by the T ransantarctic Mountains, one of the world's greatest mountain chains, rising well over 4,000 metres in many . ---­... Life flourishes in Antarctica. Apart from D AUSTRAUAN A�lARCnc n11.1t110Rr the ubiquitous birds and seals, this cold, vast desert supports a variety of animals Present-day Antarctica (above), and plants not immediately obvious to the observer. The and Gondwana (left) as it collection of articles here is arranged into Past, Present and was 160 million years ago. Future sections. The Past and Future were written by Dr The shaded area shows Patrick Quilty (Antarctic Division) and various authors were Antarctica's location in responsible for the Present. Ors Harvey- Marchant and Rod Gondwana. Seppelt (both from the Antarctic Division) wrote the sect­ ions on present-day terrestrial and marine life; Fiona Doig (A.N.H.) compiled the information on seals and penguins; Ian Allison (University of Melbourne) wrote the article on glaciology; and Trevor Hamley has written about icebergs­ those awe-inspiring floating giants of the polar regions. 98 VOL. 22 NO. 3, SUMMER 86·87 ·- ----- . �. : • - • places. The T ransantarctic Mountains Gondwana seems to have re­ provide spectacular scenery and the mained intact until some 160 million best insight into the geological evolu­ years ago, when it started to break up tion of the continent between 600 and by a series of well-documented steps. 200 million years ago. The first fragmentation began when a The rest of East Antarctica is much unit consisting of Africa and South older and its history is gleaned from America began to move northward, study of more scattered coastal out­ incidentally taking with it a piece off crops, although one region, Prince north-western Australia north of the Charles Mountains, is over 500 Exmouth Plateau. At 125-128 million kilometres inland. Parts of East Antarc­ years, India-considerably larger than tica are as old as four billion years­ at present and often termed Greater only 600 million years younger than India-departed, leaving a residual the estimated age of the Earth.