Under The Microscope

WILD FIORDLAND: by Neville Peat and Brian Patrick; University of Otago Press, 1996; 145 pages; $39.95

Reviewed by Sharon Alderson

Want to know where to find a bat wing fly? Need to know how many native plants are endemic to Fiordland? Are you curious about why deepwater marine species are found so close to the surface in the fiords? This invaluable reference can answer all of these questions and more.

Wild Fiordland is well structured with nine coherent chapters each covering a defined theme or region. After an introductory chapter and another explaining the Fiordland's geology, six further chapters each discuss a particular geographic area. The flora and fauna of each area are extensively described from lichens to forest trees, insects to marine mammals. The closing chapter outlines issues facing the region: introduced mammals, human impact etc, giving food for thought regarding the future of this unique area.

The text throughout is informative and clearly written although the use of scientific names may at first glance be a little intimidating for non-scientists. Common and Maori names are given when these exist and are also listed in the index. Captions for the superb photographs illustrating the book are both descriptive and explanatory, avoiding the need to hunt through text to determine the relevance of a particular image.

Sharon Alderson is an entomology technician interested in all areas of biology.