The ecological significance of the central North Island ash showers: Discussion

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P. C. BULL said that, of the animals he had worked with, hedgehogs were relatively scarce, except in the vicinity of built-up areas. His own work had been largely concerned with the dis- tribution of a nematode parasite of the rabbit. Too great an agreement between the distribution of the animals and the outline of the ash showers should not be expected. This parasite has a free- living stage which it spends in the soil, and may be influenced by some factor in it He also men- tioned the great lack of information on many of the other animal groups, particularly the invertebrates. He wished to elaborate on one point mentioned in Mr. Lee's paper; the weka was reported from this area about 1936, but has not been seen since, and its presence is doubtful. The same can be said of the native crow, which has been reported from further north, but has not been confirmed from the West Taupo area.