To Catch a Meercat
B I R D W A T C H E R S C L U B
A .v .E .
A B ird W atch ers C lu b w as re c e n tly fo u n d e d u n d er th e au sp ices o f th e F re e S ta te B ran ch o f th e W ildlife S o c ie ty o f S o u th e rn A frica.
T h e W ildlife S o c ie ty is o n e o f eig h teen clubs an d a s so c ia tio n s w hich m a k e use o f th e A u d i to riu m o f th e N a tio n a l M useum as a v enue for reg u lar m e e tin g s o f its m em b ers. F o u r s ta ff m e m b e rs o f th e M useum serve on th e C o m m it te e o f th e S o c ie ty and o u r o rn ith o lo g is t Dr. T ib o r F a rk a s acts as te c h n ic a l adviser For th e Bird W atchers. A p a rt fro m p a rta k in g in regular o u tin g s clu b m e m b e rs are also engaged in th e c o m p ila tio n o f a c h eck -list o f th e b ird s o f B lo e m fo n te in an d th e Bird S a n c tu a ry w h ich is n o w b e in g d e v e lo p e d in D eale R o a d , n e x t to G reen h ill C o n v e n t.
If y o u are in te re s te d in b ird w atch in g , th e Bird S a n c tu a ry o r n a tu re co n se rv a tio n as su c h , c o n t a c t can b e m a d e w ith th is S o c ie ty th ro u g h th e M useum .
C o n tra ry to r e p o rts th a t s to k s te r t m e e rc a ts or su ric a te s are e asily cau g h t b y ru n n in g th e m d o w n , flo o d in g th e ir b u rro w s o r tra p p in g th e m , th ese in se ctiv o res are e x tre m e ly w ary and d if ficu lt to c a p tu re . D u rin g th e p a s t m o n th s th e M u se u m ’s m a m m a lo g ist C allie L y n c h , his te c h nician Jo h a n E k ste e n and th e ir h elp ers fo u n d th a t digging up th e c o lo n ie s is th e o n ly really successful m e th o d b y w h ich a n o n selective sam ple can b e p ro c u re d on w h ich research re g ard in g p o p u la tio n , size, sex and age ratio s, and re p ro d u c tiv e a n aly sis can be u n d e rta k e n . m a n u a lly digging up th e c o lo n ie s is h o w ev er far to o la b o rio u s and tim e -c o n su m in g a task t o be p ra c tic a lly feasible. T h is p ro b le m w as o v erco m e b y m a k in g use o f a 4,5 h .p . m ech an ical tre n c h digger. H essian sa ck in g 1 m high is e re c te d a ro u n d a m e e rc a t c o lo n y . T re n c h in g c o m m e n ces on th e side o f th e c o lo n y w h ere th e b u r row s sh o w th e least a c tiv ity and p arallel t r e n ches 1 m to 1,5 m d eep and 50 cm w id e are dug. W hen a p p ro x im a te ly th re e q u a rte rs o f th e area has b een e x cav a te d th e m e e rc a ts em erge fro m th e ir b u rro w s and in th e ir a tte m p ts to flee rush in to th e hessian sacking w here th e y are th e n c a u g h t b y h an d .
A t th e M useum th e su ric a te s are d isse c te d an d s tu d ie d . T h e in fo rm a tio n th u s o b ta in e d o n th e feed in g h a b its, size and s tr u c tu re o f th e c o lo nies, b re e d in g season, age o f p u b e rty , litte r size, in tern al and e x te rn a l p a ra site s h a rb o u re d b y th ese a n im als e tc . n o t o n ly c o n trib u te s to th e k n o w led g e a b o u t th ese d e n iz e n s o f th e veld, b u t also to w a rd s th e e s ta b lis h m e n t o f so u n d co n se rv a tio n m easu res to in su re th e ir ex iste n c e as a species.
B o rd u u rw e rk
’n G ro o t versa m eh n g b o r d u u r w e r k van w y le m e v A le tta Wessels is d e u r ba a r m an, m nr. Tewxe Wessels van G o edgenoeg, S a n n a sp o s aan d ie M u s e u m g e s k e n k .
D ie u itsta lh n g van ta fe ld o e k e , lopers, stoel- kussings, teem u ssies, m u u rb e h a n g se ls en t a f e i lappies is tans in die M u se u m te sien
M e v Wessels b e t n g r o o t b ela n g ste llin g en h e fd e v ir naald- en b o rd u u r w e r k gehad. S y w as v ir 22 ja a r 'n k n a p leerltng van m e v H e tste van W yk o n d e r w ie se le id m g die m e e ste van d ie b o r d u u rw e rk in d ie v itsta llin g g e d o e n is. D ie a rti k e Is v e rte e n w o o r d tg 'n g r o o t v e rsk e id e n h e id b o rd u u r so o r te so o s k ru isste e k , sw a rtw e rk , reti- cella, g o b elin , ra fe lw erk , b e d e b o , sorbello, bar- danger, sa a m tre k w e rk , assissie e n H ongaarse b o rd u u r w e rk .
M nr. W essels h e t o o k aan die M u se u m 'n aand- ro k van su iw e r w o l s t o f g e s k e n k w a t d e u r ba a r gedra is, ty d e n s haar k r o n in g as w o lk o n in g in vir
W e p e n e r m 19 4 0
V o lk sb la d
IN M E M O R I A M
M nr. W .j. P re to riu s, V o o rra d e b e a m p - te van die N asio n ale M useum sedei t 1 Ju lie 1 9 7 6 is o n s op 22 S e p te m b e r 19 7 7 d e u r d ie d o o d o n tn e e m . In h ierd ie k o r t p e rio d e h e t h y p uik d ie n s gelew er. L angs h ierd ie w eg be- tu ig d ie R a ad en p erso n ee l hu l a iep - ste m eegevoel aan d ie e g g en o te, fam i- lie en v rien d e van O o m P ikkie.
