Unseasonable Weather Research Articles

Climatic Factors in the Seasonality of New Zealand Insects: a Meteorological Viewpoint

Although New Zealand enjoys a temperate climate, local effects and unseasonable weather conditions play an important part in many natural ecosystems. The effect of weather on the life cycle of insects is briefly discussed and the relevant elements of Kew Zealand's past and present climate are reviewed. The importance of climatic scale is emphasised, as is the need to consider the variability of the climatological elements involved.

Spring Migrant Mortality during Unseasonable Weather

Spring Migrant Mortality during Unseasonable Weather

Studies in Middle Archaic Chinese

The Spring and Autumn Annals purports to be the chronicles of the city-state of Lu from the year 721 to the year 482 BC. Prima facie there is little reason to doubt that it is what it purports to be. The Annals consists of brief dated entries, arranged by year, season, month and sometimes by day, recording the accessions and deaths of the rulers of Lu, their marriages, their visits to other states, the visitors they received, and similar matters of consequence to the Court. Some entries concern other states,-particularly those which have to do with inter-state relations. They record the covenants, for example, into which Lu entered with its neighbours. Apart from this, there are entries concerning unseasonal weather, catastrophes, and ominous portents. In short, the Spring and Autumn Annals is the sort of primitive archive-type record which might plausibly be expected to have been kept at this period,-a cumulative record made by the recorders of the Court. There is, however, a persistent Chinese tradition that Confucius either

COMPENSATION FOR TEMPERATURE IN THE METABOLISM AND ACTIVITY OF POIKILOTHERMS

SUMMARYMany poikilothermal animals exhibit in their metabolism or activity some degree of independence of their temperature. In the general case this is regarded as reflecting a compensation rather than a fundamental insensitivity of metabolism or the rate functions measured.Illustrative cases are assembled including the following: (1) latitudinally separated populations of the same species and of different species which show adaptation in some rate function, often far from complete but sometimes apparently complete, those from higher latitudes having higher rates at given temperatures. (2) Micro‐geographic adaptation has been discovered in intertidal molluscs, comparing low‐tide level with mid‐tide level individuals of the same species; heart rates at a given temperature are higher in those from the cooler habitat. (3) Seasonal shift of various rate processes in a homoeostatic direction is likewise documented, as is (4) experimental acclimation, regarded as evidence of normal, shorter term regulations accompanying periods of unseasonable weather. (5) A number of cases show the phenomenon of rapid compensation, completed in hours or minutes and often sensibly perfect. Even when not perfect, many organisms show in one way or another that they do not submit passively to different temperatures.A number of exceptions are listed which show that the ability to compensate is far from universal. However, the same species may sometimes compensate in other rate functions.The mechanism and properties of compensation are discussed. It is concluded that even in the same organism there are several simultaneous mechanisms with different time courses and at different levels, involving enzymes, cells, organs and behaviour. The activity of several enzymes alters, as tested in homogenates from acclimated animals, but other enzymes show no change. The limiting factor in the use of temperature‐compensating mechanisms for overcoming temperature barriers to distribution is presumed to be such failure to balance the regulation of different processes.It is considered likely that at least in certain cases regulation may depend on specialized receptors for temperature. It is shown that non‐adapting, absolute temperature sense organs, such as are necessary, occur in various groups of poikilo‐therms, though it cannot be said that they function in acclimation.Acclimation is manifested by a change in the acutely* measured rate‐temperature (R‐T) curve in any of several ways. Commonly there is something more than a shift of the curve along the temperature axis; some upward shift as well, or a flattening of the slope, accompanies cold adaptation.The facts at hand do not permit a simple statement as to the relative importance among eurythermal species of genetically determined adaptability within a genotype and of temperature races. Both clearly exist.Some species are at first hyper‐responsive to temperature change, settling down to a steady rate after some hours, others are initially under‐responsive. Neglect of this short‐term time factor vitiates many comparisons between R‐T curves taken during dissimilar phases of response to changes.The wide distribution and demonstrated natural occurrence of acclimation and related rate compensations for temperature bespeak a large‐scale role in ecology and evolution.It is a pleasure to acknowledge the inspiration and stimulus as well as much critical thinking due to my collaborators, in particular Drs John L. Roberts, K. Pampapathi Rao, Paul A. Dehnel and Earl Segal, who themselves have contributed the original work from this laboratory.

Aircraft Applications of Insecticides in East Africa. VIII.—An Experiment against the Tsetse Fly, Glossina swynnertoni Aust., in an isolated Area of Thronbush and Thicket

An isolated area of 2,200 acres of thicket and thronbush in the Central Province, Tanganyika, was treated from the air with a DDT-in-oil aerosol in an attempt to eliminate the tsetse fly, Glossina swynnertoni Aust. Eight applications of 0·25 lb. technical DDT per acre were planned to be done at fortnightly intervals.Delays due to unseasonal bad weather reduced this to seven at a slightly higher rate and over a longer-period.G. swynnertoni was reduced from an apparent density of about 7 to zero at the end of the second application. No flies were caught after the fifth application for a period of six months.It is not possible to say whether the few caught since then have been brought in or are the offspring of survivors of the insecticidal treatment.This experiment was more successful than that on the Galapo Block in the same ares, to a highly significant degree, and this is attributed to the vulnerability of the smaller population present. It was doubtfully better than the first treatment of the North Block, also in this area, because the increase in population in the latter block may have been assisted by immigration.

Tree Swallow Mortality from Exposure during Unseasonable Weather

Tree Swallow Mortality from Exposure during Unseasonable Weather

Unseasonable Weather in the United States

Unseasonable Weather in the United States

The Recent Unseasonable Weather

MR. ARCHIBALD'S letter on this subject displays great ability, and is deserving of much attention by meteorologists. Nothing can be, I think, more interesting and important than a proper interpretation of the meaning of the facts of the weather of the late extraordinary and contrasted seasons. Will you, therefore, allow me shortly to make a few remarks regarding the comparison pointed out by Mr. Archibald as existing between the weather of India and that of North Europe.

The Recent Unseasonable Weather

IN view of the recent unusually cold weather in England and Scotland, which has been so well described and proximately explained in last week's NATURE, the following paragraph, extracted from the Standard of June 15, appears to me highly suggestive, especially as regards one of the probable causes for the “unwonted high pressures” on the northern side of the depression which is accused of being the immediate source of these unseasonable conditions:—