London Normal School - Spectrum Yearbook (London, Ontario Canada)

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LONDON NORMAL SCHOOL Exploring fter a hard day ' s journey Scott and his four companions reached the pole on January 16th, 1912. What a life! my friend said to me as he was read ' ing The story of Captain Scott. How I would like to have gone with him, or better still, led an expedition myself to the pole. But what chance is there for you and me? So much has been done in the field of explora- tion that there seems to be nothing left. Come and sit on the doorstep and I shall disclose to you the most interesting discoveries imaginable. The other day you were curious about the bees that remained in the entrance of the hive fanning their wings. Scientists such as Fabre, Comstock, Kellogg, and others tell us that long before man ever thought of the use of coal the social bees were employing the same method to ventilate their hives as men now use to keep air pure in coal mines. Why yes, that explains it, said my friend. They are keeping up a continuous circulation of air. At that moment my friend pointed out a wasp ' s nest in the process of construction under the eaves of his garage. He had been trying most unsuccessfully to remove it. Why, said I. you are trying to harm some members of a most remarkable family which includes potters, exquisite surgeons, storage experts, and paper makers. I don ' t understand you, said my friend. There is a kind of wasp which, while your fore fathers were eating out of their fingers, was moulding the finest clay into a home for its young. This same species, called the Pelopaeus wasp and another, called the Sphix wasp, long before man knew anything about the nervous system, knew the nerve centre in which to sting a spider or cricket to paralyse and yet keep it alive to provide a supply of fresh meat for the young, without the use of cold storage or salt. Those wasps that you are trying to destroy belong to the world ' s first family of paper makers. Paper makers, potters, surgeons, mused my friend. Well, I shall certainly leave that nest and watch it more closely to see what I can discover about these little creatures. Look, there is the Monarch Butterfly that you pointed out to me the other day, said my friend. Oh, no it isn ' t, said I. you have just been fooled by one of the world ' s best mimics. The butterfly you see is a Viceroy and has mimicked the Monarch for this reason. Most butterflies of a dull colour are very palatable to birds, while those of a brilliant colour are unpalatable. At one time the Viceroy was a dull brown colour but he has changed to mimic the Monarch in order to protect himself. The best distinguishing marks are now its smaller size and the black vertical line on the hind wing. When your explorations move farther afield, I added, you will discover the meaning of this paragraph from J. G. Wood — ' The habits of insects are very mines of interesting knowledge, and it is impossible carefully to watch the proceedings of any insect, however insignificant, with- out feeling that no writer of fiction ever invented a drama of such absorbing interest as is acted daily before our eyes, though to indifferent spectators. ' GORDON HOUGHTON. Form I. General Science Club THE students of the 1936-7 class have prospects of becoming great naturalists; this was made evident at the inaugural meeting of the Naturalists ' Club on Jan. 22nd, when the majority of the students met on the invitation of Dr. Hofferd to discuss the character and benefits of such an organization. Two of our main aims were to cultivate an appreciation of art and liter- ature in relation to nature and science; and to make field trips for the purpose of gaining first-hand knowledge, and an appreciation of nature, industry and sanitation. The executive has been most faithful in its work, inspired by the dual flame of duty and pleasure. The names are: Pres., J. Waghorne; Vice-Pres., L. Gilroy; Sec.-Treas., J. Munroe; Reps., C. Hey wood, V. Cun- ningham, K. McEachern, A. Turnbull; Programme Com- mittee, Miss Davidson, Dr. Hofferd. The Science Club has been responsible for many interesting visits in which the entire school body par- ticipated. Of these, the excursions to Canada Bread, Bell Telephone, Hatcheries, Kellogg ' s Corn Flakes Factory, Bird morning at Saunders ' Pond and Silver- wood ' s Dairy stand out, the last-named commemor- ated in the Science Club poet ' s scrapbook as follows: Those weary stragglers so forlorn We spied a-walMing Saturday morn, Wal mg down old Ridout Street, Slowly dragging weary feet, Were on their way to get the goods On how A. E. runs Silverwoods. The Literary Society is indebted to the Science Club for several interesting and varied afternoons ' entertainment. We mention particularly the Arbour Day programme held on the campus. Dr. Mark set the standard for the remainder of the numbers by his talk on the place of Arbour Day in the school. The main feature of the afternoon was the planting of the tree. The planting was under the capable guidance of Dr. Hofferd who gave the class many valuable directions regarding such a procedure. The dedication was read by L. Gilroy, and accepted by Dr. Mark. Not only did the class leave the red oak as a re- membrance, but also a stone bearing the inscription: CORONATION OAK Planted by Science Club of L. ?{. S. May 12, 1937. JEAN MUNROE. Form III. Page Fourteen

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LONDON NORMAL SCHOOL ESTHER W. G. MacMATH JEAN E. MacTAVISH R. R. No. 2 Walkers, Ont. Clinton, Ont. JEAN MacPHERSON R. R. No. 1 Wilton Grove, Ont. CATHERINE McEACHERN 40 Craig St. Alvinston, Ont. RJORIE MARTYN CATHERINE McGUGAN Springfield, Ont. Alvinston, Ont. VIOLA MILLER Merlin, Ont. MARY J. MILLER 785 Felix Ave. Windsor, Ont. JEAN MORRIS Mossley, Ont. JEAN MUNROE R. R. No. 3 Florence, Ont. Page Thirteen

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LONDON NORMAL SCHOOL ISABEL VINCENT Tillsonburg. Ont. JEAN E. WAGHORNE Sarnia, Ont. ESTHER A. WEBSTER R. R. No. 4 Appin, Ont. MARGARET WILLIAMS Fletcher, Ont. RUTH WILLIS 764 Partington Ave. Windsor, Ont. DOROTHY WRIGHT 636 Cataraqui St. Windsor, Ont. Page Fifteen