Book Reviews a climbing plant, \.. may, by a careful use of the paint); the beautiful Stinkhorns by Ellis Rowan; knife at the right season, be kept in the form of Eremophilas by Rosa Fiveash; Lobelia gracilis a garden shrub; and it is even used for hedges’ and Abutilon halophilum by Gertrude Love- (pp. 120-121). grove; Agaricus pulchellus by Flora Martin and The book is beautifully illustrated throughout Pannus carbonarius by Maria Magdalena Wehl. with some of the works of these talented ladies. This fascinating book is a fount of informa¬ Examples include: detail of the Native Clema¬ tion, beautifully written and interspersed with tis and Coral Pea by Louisa Anne Meredith; a intriguing quotes and photographs. The paint¬ grouping of Correa speciosa, Hibertiay Styphelia ings of some of these ‘collecting ladies’ have virgata etc. by Euphemia Henderson (a would made their way to Calendars for 2015, perhaps be bride of Mueller); a detailed composite of anticipating the Christmas season. If you need a orchids by Fanny Anne Charsley; a beautiful gift for someone interested in history, in plants, rendition of one of the Blood Wood Eucalypts in art or in literature, this book would be ideal. by Anna Frances Walker, Bignonia jasminoides And if you are looking for a gift for someone by Harriet Scott; Antheraea simplex on Eleocar- who has not expressed an interest in such areas, pus obovatus by Helena Scott; a composite of this book could make them a convert. Passifloras by Louisa Atkinson; Hardenbergia ovata by Fanny De Mole; flowers of the Flame- Tree and Yellow and Black Twiner by Marianne Maria Gibson North; Jasminum calcareum by Margaret For¬ School of Life and Environmental Sciences, rest (who gave Marianne North a ‘kangaroos Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, foot’ of‘black velvet with yellow satin lining’ to Burwood, Victoria 3125 Living Waters: Ecology of animals in swamps, rivers, lakes and dams by Nick Romanowski Publisher: CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Vic. 2013. x + 292 pages, paperback, coloured photographs. ISBN 9780643107564. RRP $39.95 Fifty years of wetlands study has well qualified ecology of Australian inland waters. The writ¬ the author of this book to educate readers about ing is taut and easy to read and it is pleasing to how ecological patterns, processes and animal see that nomenclature is up-to-date: things like interactions merge into a seamless whole. He recognising that the Silver Gull now resides in defines ecology, in a broad sense, to be the the genus Chroicocephalus and the fact that the study of food, finding it and avoiding becom¬ freshwater species of the Anostraca are known ing it. What all organisms seek is food; shelter as Fairy Shrimps while their saline counter¬ (protection from predators and climate); and parts are Brine Shrimps. Perhaps one criticism: a place to breed. The geographic scope of the phrases such as ‘Many species haven’t bothered book is the inland waters from Tasmania to the evolving ways of protecting their flying wings’ tropics, and its intention is to describe the un¬ are unnecessarily facetious and add nothing to derlying forces that drive ecological change and the imperative of enhancing scientific literacy movement in Australian wetlands. amongst those who need it. Although Romanowski is best known as a writ¬ The book is divided into three sections, all er on wetland plants, his primary background copiously illustrated with the authors excellent and qualifications are in zoology and he trained photographs. The first six chapters are a roll-call at Monash University when Ian Bayly and Bill of common or unusual species: crustaceans; Williams were revolutionising the study of the insects; other invertebrates; fishes; frogs, reptiles Vol 132 (1)2015 27 Book Reviews Section 2 is entitled Living with Change and the first three chapters describe how seasonal changes shape the ecology of many types of wetland. The first deals with ephemeral wet¬ lands and, for each major group of animals, Romanowski explains how they colonise a new wetland and then survive its demise by mov¬ WAT E RS ing on or by adopting some drought-tolerant mechanism such as encysting, aestivation or deep burial. The succession of species starts with the decay of any organic matter that has built up during the dry phase, breaking down to provide food for a bacterial bloom, and can finish with opportunistic species of birds which have the mobility to exploit ephemeral resources. The next chapter expands the mov¬ ing-on and colonising options, discussing at length dispersal of fish and how the apparent¬ ly suicidal urge to move upstream into regions that will dry out, although counter-intuitive, can be explained as a bet-hedging strategy. Some frogs and freshwater turtles can move surprising distances and the winged adults of aquatic insects are excellent colonisers of new waters. Waterbirds are the greatest travellers as they follow the rains, but differing flight styles and their implications are discussed as is the and mammals; and birds. No scientific names need to moult flight feathers where different are given in the text but they are grouped in a modes have evolved to suit different lifestyles. separate appendix, which contains 364 different Chapter 9, being a chronology of life forms as taxa, although some are duplicates and some Lake Colac in western Victoria moves from a are missing. The reader can see the breadth of dry bed to deep water, is somewhat of a case- coverage of this book, and a hint of the authors study of the previous chapters. For 30 years interests, when you see that number comprises: the author documented in words and pictures Birds (66), Crustaceans (42), Fish (103), Frogs the drying out of the lake and its refilling after (20), Fungi (1), Insects (24), Other invertebrates drought-breaking rains in 2009, with special (9), Molluscs (3); Plants (62), Reptiles (26), emphasis on the fish and the birds. Of course, Spiders (5) and Vertebrates (3). Each of these their invertebrate food sources also have a suc¬ faunal chapters discusses the body-plan of the cession story to be told. The final chapter in this organism and how its particular features are section concludes that predators also influence suited to the aquatic life and the niches where the ecology by regulating population size and it will be found. Then follows the life history of shaping evolutionary history. Specific instances members of the major groups. The emphasis is of the latter are the prolific breeding of cope- on how they breathe, move, eat and grow, and pods and water fleas as insurance for the few, their interactions with other animals. There are armour against attack epitomised in the larger lots of statements giving rare or poorly-known Crustacea, and the use of specialised refuges. information such as the larvae of freshwater The other theme in the chapter is how preda¬ mussels being parasitic on the gills of fishes. tors locate and capture their prey whilst avoid¬ Information boxes discuss such things as meta¬ ing the same fate from something higher up the morphosis, parasites and human impacts. trophic chain. Insect mouthparts get a special 28 The Victorian Naturalist Book Reviews mention, with the larvae of dragonflies and will settle. Even in the most turbulent streams carnivorous water beetles being the exemplars. there is a laminar layer close to the bed which Almost every chapter in Section 2 has a box can provide a refuge for invertebrates. On this discussing human impacts. same journey the oxygen levels will tend to fall In Section 3 there are eight chapters which, in but the nutrient levels will rise, so productivity essence, follow the path of water downhill from increases down the spectrum. In a country the rainfall to mountain soaks, through streams, fast size of Australia, with its diverse geography and rivers, slow rivers, lakes and lagoons to estuar¬ climate, there will be an inordinate number of ies, saltmarshes and mangroves, and then man¬ different aquatic niches, each supporting ani¬ made dams. Another dimension to the journey mals that have evolved in those conditions. The is the changes that occur as salinity rises. There reader will meet lots of examples in the third are two stories here: the first is the fluvial aspects section of this book. of geomorphology while the other considers Who should read this book? Obviously, any¬ changes in temperature and dissolved gases and one who is fascinated by the aquatic fauna, the minerals, particularly salts. The energy level way its members live their lives, and the rea¬ of a river depends on its speed and the amount sons why they are successful. Also those who of water it carries. In turn, these are determined are generally interested in where evolution and by the gradient, roughness of the channel, size ecology meet. Not to mention those who want of the drainage basin, presence of vegetation to know more about Australia’s rivers, streams and climate. In general, as the altitude decreas¬ and other types of wetland. es so does the energy of the waterway, which means the size of the particles it can carry also falls. High-energy streams have a bed of cob¬ Ian Endersby 56 Looker Rd bles, anything smaller having been swept away. Montmorency, Victoria 3094 In the middle reaches the sands drop out and, in the quietest of backwaters, given time, the silts Australian Natural History Medallion Trust Fund Since January 2014 donations to the Trust Fund have been gratefully received from the following: Helen Aston $100 Peter Davies $5 Julia Davis $10 Valda Dedman $5 William Fenner $100 Lois Martin $20 David Munro $10 George Paras $25 Ernest Perkins $102.50 Kaye Proudley $10 Alan Reid $25 Ken Simpson $50 Jackie Waring $1 Geelong Field Naturalist club $50 Portland Field Naturalist club $50 LaTrobe Valley Field Naturalist club $50 Launceston Field Naturalist club $50 Royal Society of Victoria $250 If you would like to contribute to this fund, which supports the Australian Natural History Medallion, donations should be sent to: The Treasurer, Field Naturalists Club of Victoria, P O Box 13, Blackburn, Victoria 3130. Cheques should be made payable to the ‘Australian Natural History Medallion Trust Fund’. The medallion is awarded annually to a person who is considered to have made the most significant contribution to the understanding of Australian natural history in the last ten years. Gary Presland _ Secretary, ANHM Committee Vol 132 (1) 2015 29