Preliminary Observations on the Characteristics of the Owned Dog Population in Roseau,Dominica

The subject of sanctuaries for chimpanzees has lately become the topic of a great deal of discussion (Brent, Butler, &; Haberstroh, 1997; Committee on Long-Term Care of Chimpanzees, 1997; Dyke, Williams-Blangero, Mamelka, &; Goodwin, 1995; Peterson &; Goodall, 1993). In the United States, laboratories that use chimpanzees in research are facing a housing crisis. An increase in captive births caused by the initiation of the National Chimpanzee Breeding and Research Program in 1986 (Hobson, Graham, &; Rowell, 1991), coupled with the diminished use of chimpanzees as experimental subjects, have led to a large population of chimpanzees considered to be surplus to demand (Blood, Wolfle, &; Whitney, 1992). These chimpanzees, as well as an unknown number from the private sector, are candidates for what is currently being called retirement.     

二点委夜蛾形态特征的初步观察

对二点委夜蛾Athelis lepigone(Moschler)各虫态的外部结构和细微特征进行了系统观察。区分了成虫、蛹的雌雄特征,对成虫足、翅脉结构、幼虫头部、腹足等做了详细描述。该虫成虫和幼虫的主要鉴别特征:翅灰褐色,前翅3条黑褐色的横线呈波浪状,中剑纹为黑色三角形或菱形斑,肾形斑由黑点组成边缘,外侧中凹有白点;幼虫颅侧区有倒"八"字形暗褐色斑纹。腹背具"V"字纹,亚背线深褐色具灰白色边缘。     

Preliminary observations on the copepods of Tudor Creek,Mombasa, Kenya

The zooplankton of Tudor Creek, a mangrove estuary in Kenya, was investigated from November 1984 to October 1985 at monthly intervals. One hundred and two copepod species were identified of which twelve were abundant. Densities are given for these species and their seasonal fluctuations are discussed.     

Preliminary observations of the Mentawai macaque on Siberut Island,Indonesia

During 2 years spent conducting ecological fieldwork on Siberut, the largest and most northerly of the four Mentawai Islands in Indonesia, incidental observations were made of the Mentawai macaque. The Mentawai macaque has been considered variously as a full species similar in some respects to the long-tailed macaque and as a subspecies of the pig-tailed macaque. Evidence is presented that a hitherto undescribed form of the Mentawai macaque occurs on Siberut, and aspects of its ecology and behavior are described.     

Preliminary observations on reproduction in the Central American agouti,Dasyprocta punctata

Two adult male and three adult female agoutis have been reproducing at the Lincoln Park Zoo since 1978. Agoutis of the species D. punctata and D. fuliginosa are capable of breeding and producing offspring in every month of the year in captivity. The minimum interbirth interval of captive punctata is 127 days, and its gestation period is apparently less than 127 calendar days. In captivity, agoutis are likely to produce multiple offspring.     

Preliminary observations on the breakdown of coir in soil

Summary Coco fibres are used as a wrapper of plastic drain pipes. An investigation has been made of the decomposition of these fibres in soil. Unaffected and partly decayed fibres were washed and placed on cellulose-containing agar plates. Unaffected coir rarely showed growth. Around the partly decayed fibres nearly always fungi developed. A number of these, cellulose-decomposing fungi were isolated and identified. Total reducing sugars, hexoses, lignin and nitrogen were estimated in unaffected and partly decayed coir samples. Especially the nitrogen content correlated with the stage of decomposition of the fibres. A laboratory method is described for studying the breakdown of coir under conditions more or less equal to those in the field.     

黑肾卷裙夜蛾形态及生物学特性初步观察

黑肾卷裙夜蛾Plecoptera oculata Moore是我国南方珍贵树种降香黄檀Dalbergia odorifera种植区的一种食叶性害虫。【目的】初步研究黑肾卷裙夜蛾的形态特征、生物学特性以及生活史等问题。【方法】通过室内观察和野外调查,数据精确测量与统计,总结与分析了黑肾卷裙夜蛾的形态、生物学特性等问题。【结果】黑肾卷裙夜蛾幼虫6龄,黑肾卷裙夜蛾一个世代发育需要(41.64±1.59)d,越冬代约为120 d,室内饲养存活率为61.37%±0.80%,其中卵发育历期(7.53±0.40)d,孵化率为(86.67%±1.43)%,幼虫发育历期为(18.42±0.41)d,存活率为61.30%±1.21%,蛹期为(8.67±0.58)d,羽化率为75.55%±1.14%,成虫寿命为(7.02±0.78)d,存活率为74.44%±1.12%,该虫在广东地区一年发生可以发生7~8代,且具有世代重叠现象。【结论】通过了解该虫的生物学特性,为切实可行的防控黑肾卷裙夜蛾提供理论依据。     

Preliminary observations on the population development of anystid and free-living mesostigmatic mites in a cereal field in Southern England

The effect of manipulating cereal aphid population development, by either adding aphids or spraying with an aphid-specific insecticide, on the predatory mite fauna was investigated. Populations of the anystid mite, Anystis baccarum (L.) were very small until late June when numbers built up rapidly at the time of the aphid population decline. There was however, no significant relationship between aphids and numbers of mites over the whole season. Preliminary electrophoretic analysis of two enzymes in the gut of anystid mites indicated that they may have been feeding on thrips, Limothrips cerealium Haliday. The free-living soil Mesostigmata had two population peaks, each related, the first positively and the second negatively to aphid populations.     

Preliminary observations on the BK 8518 mandible from Baringo, Kenya

A newly discovered adult hominid mandible (BK 8518) from Baringo, Kenya, is described and assessed. The corpus, many of the tooth crowns, and most of the left ascending ramus are preserved. The teeth are heavily and asymmetrically worn. Compared with BK 67 (the 1966 mandible) the body of BK 8518 is more robust; the internal symphyseal buttressing is more pronounced; the M3s have seven cusps and exceed the M2s in size. There are no compelling reasons, however, to attribute the two mandibles to different taxa and, in view of the lack of any comprehensive taxonomic diagnosis for Homo erectus, "erectus-like," and habiline mandibular remains, the new specimen is also best regarded as Homo sp. indet. (aff. erectus).     

The distribution of seagrasses in Dominica, Lesser Antilles

Seagrass beds are the largest organism-built marine habitat in Dominica, yet have only been surveyed since 2007. Standardized examinations along a depth gradient between 0 and 24 m, focusing on magnoliophyte species composition and benthic cover of shoots at 17 seagrass bed sites, were carried out between September 10 and December 7, 2008. The Cymodoceaceae Syringodium filiforme (Kuetzing 1860) and Halodule wrightii (Ascherson 1868), as well as the Hydrocharitaceae Halophila decipiens (Ostenfeld 1902), H. stipulacea (Fosskal & Ascherson 1867) and Thalassia testudinum (Banks ex K?nig 1805) displayed distinct regional and horizontal distribution patterns. Syringodium filiforme is the island's dominant seagrass along the western and northern coasts, occurring at depths between 2 and 18 m and with a mean benthic cover ranging from 0.9-10% along the West coast. Along the North coast it grew between 0.2 and 1 m depth with a mean maximum benthic cover of 48.9%. Halodule wrightii grew along the North and West coasts, in depths between 1 and 14m in areas of recent and chronic disturbances. Its delicate morphology and sparse benthic cover (< 0.1%) did not constitute seagrass beds. Halophila decipiens grew along the deep, shallow and lateral margins of west coast S. filiforme beds and monospecifically in depths between 3 and 24m. Halophila stipulacea, an invasive species, was widespread along 45km of the West coast and was found in depths between 5 and 24m. Both Halophila species formed extensive beds at depths beyond the survey limit of 24m thus playing a potentially important role in the resettlement of shallow areas after storms. H. decipiens and H. stipulacea are currently the second and third most common seagrasses on the island respectively, despite their absence along the North coast. T. testudinum was confined to North coast's sheltered reef flats at depths Im or less with mean a benthic cover ranging from 2 to 76%. It grew monospecifically in the most turbulent and in the calmest locations, yet intermixed with S. filiforme in areas of moderate turbulence. Strong surge along the West coast (October 15-16, 2008), associated with Hurricane Omar, caused uprooting and burial of seagrass beds in varying degrees, in particular along the shallow margins between 2 and 10m depth. This event also demonstrated the dynamic nature of Dominica's shallow seagrass bed margins and the resistance level of individual beds to storm disturbances.