During a visit to Rangatira Island in 1990 we evaluated the effect of colour banding on the endangered shore plover (Thinornis novaeseelandiae) and Chatham Island oystercatcher (Haematopus chathamensis). We assessed the condition of colour bands and the cause of any band failure on 90 birds. All oystercatchers had very worn colourbands and a number of these were removed as they were likely to h...

no voucher); Lake Okeechobee at Fisheating Creek 39890). GEORGIA: Chatham Co.: Old Hwy 17 ('CAS 170408). Hernando Co.: Hwy 98 at Brooksville ('LSUMZ 45359). ('CAS 169468). Hillsborough Co.: Tampa, near USF Elaphe obsoleta spiloides. MISSISSIPPI: Smith Co.: 4 campus ('HCD 4886 and 4887, no vouchers). Palm mi. N Taylorsville, Leaf River ('LSUMZ 37983). Beach Co.: S of Lake Okeechobee ('LSUMZ 3790...

Three new genera, Acallocheirus, Aparatanais, and Penteparatanais, and seven new species of the paratanaid subfamily Paratanaidinae are described from New Zealand. New records of three previously known species Atemtanais taikaha, Paratanais paraoa, and P. tara, are also given. Paratanais denticulatus, P. intermedius, P. malignus, P. spinanotandus,and P. vicentetis are transferred to Aparatanais...

Two new species of Chondrocladia are described from the deep Pacific, off New Zealand and South Australia. These presumably carnivorous sponges are characterized by the presence of a sheath of special spicules along the stalk, for which the new term ‘trochirhabd’ is coined. Similar spicules were known from fossil strata of the Early Jurassic, suggesting that Cladorhizidae were already present i...

In this paper, we use a finite-state continuous-time Markov chain with one absorbing state to model an individual's lifetime. Under this model, the time of death follows a phase-type distribution, and the transient states of the Markov chain are known as phases. We then attempt to provide an answer to the simple question "What is the conditional age distribution of the individual, given its cur...

The forests of Rangatira Island (218 ha) in the Chatham Islands are a critical breeding site for a number of rare and threatened forest bird species, but are also home to more than three million seabirds, which could significantly affect forest regeneration processes. We surveyed the forests of Rangatira Island by establishing 40 permanent forest plots, estimated seabird density through burrow ...