SUMMARIES OF ARTICLES

The New Polish Nature Protection Act. — By Wacław Brzeziński T h e a u th o r c h a ra c te ris e s th e n e w N a tu re P ro te c tio n A c t o f A p r i l 7, 1949, in fo rc e in P o la n d since A p r i l 29, 1949, in a cco rd a n ce w it h w h ic h m a tte rs c o n c e rn in g n a tu re p ro te c tio n h a ve b een tr a n s fe r­

re d fr o m w it h in th e p ro v in c e o f th e M in is t r y o f E d u c a tio n to th a t o f th e M in is t r y o f F o re s try .

The Martagon. — By Anna Medwecka-Kornaś

T h e m a rta g o n o r T u r k ’ s-cap l i l y (L i l i u m m a rta g o n L .) is a p la n t th a t is c o m m o n ly k n o w n in P o la n d . In te re s t was a tta c h e d to th e p la n t since lo n g ago o n a c c o u n t o f its b e a u tifu l flo w e rs , a n d th is has been m a n ife s te d in f o l k custom s a n d a rt. In th e P o lis h T a tr a re g io n , f o r in s ta n c e , th e p la n t is a lr e q u e n t m o t if in o rn a ­ m e n ts c a rv e d o n th e beam s o f houses a n d on l u r n it u r e ( l i g . 1 ).

I n th e p a s t th e p la n t was b e lie v e d to possess a m y s te rio u s p o w e r o f p re s e rv in g fr o m m is fo r tu n e a n d , a c c o rd in g to A l b e r t u s M a g ­ n u s (1 6 9 8 ), i t was used as a h a lf- m e d ic in a l a n d h a lf-m a g ic a l p la n t.

N o w a d a y s i t no lo n g e r has a n y p ra c tic a l a p p lic a tio n , h u t in s p ite o f th is fa c t th e p la n t ’s e xiste n ce is th re a te n e d in P o la n d in conse­

q u e n ce o f its b e in g p lu c k e d on a mass scale, p a r t ic u la r ly in th e v ic in it y o f b ig to w n s .

T h e m a rta g o n is a p e re n n ia l, w in t e r in g in th e fo r m o f a h u ll) (F ig . 2 h ) . I t can m u l t i p ly v e g e ta tiv e ly , b y p ro d u c in g n e w b u lb s o r b u lb ils , as w e ll, as b y m eans o f seeds. T h e d e v e lo p m e n t o f a y o u n g p la n t fr o m seed (F ig . 3 ) p ro ce e d s in a r e la tiv e ly slo w m a n n e r a n d lasts s e ve ra l years. A d e v e lo p in g b u lb possesses th e a b ilit y o f g e ttin g d e e p e r in to th e s o il b y m eans o f c o n tr a c tile ro o ts.

T h e flo w e rs o f th e m a rta g o n a re p o llin a te d c h ie fly b y h a w k - m o th s (M a c ro g lo s s a s te lla ta ru m , D e ilc p h ila e u p h o rb ia e a n d v a rio u s species o f th e genus S p h in x ). F lu t t e r in g in th e a ir , these m o th s d r in k u p th e n e c ta r fr o m th e n e c ta ry d u cts w h ic h a re s itu a te d o n tlie in s id e s u rfa c e o f th e p e r ia n th leaves, a n d in c id e n ta lly th e insects m e d ia te in p o llin a t io n (F ig . 4 ).

T h e f r u i t is a c a p s u le (F ig . 2 b ) w h ic h f o r c ib ly d isch a rg e s H a t seeds th a t are l ig h t ly w in g e d a n d are f u r t h e r d is s e m in a te d F y th e w in d .

T h e m a rta g ó n o c c u rs ’ th r o u g h o u t P o la n d , m o re a b u n d a n tly in th e s o u th e rn p a r t o f th e c o u n tr y th a n in th e n o rth e rn . I n th e T a tr a M o u n ta in s i t reaches u p in to th e zone o f m u n ta in - p in e (P in u s m u g h u s S c o p . ) . I n th e p a st th e m a rta g ó n was c o m m o n , h u t n o w a d a y s i t is b e c o m in g r a r e r a n d ra r e r , a n d c o n s e q u e n tly i t has b een p la c e d o n th e lis t o f p la n ts u n d e r le g a l p ro te c tio n .

A p a r t fr o m th e m a rta g ó n I L i l i u m m a rta g ó n L .) th e re grow s in P o la n d y e t a n o th e r species o f th e same genus, th e o ra n g e l i l y I L i li u m b u lb if e r u m L . ) ; i t occurs in a w ild state in th e S u d e ty M o u n ta in s (S n ie ż n ik K ło d z k i) a n d i t also fr e q u e n tly escapes fr o m c u ltiv a tio n .

The Problems of Bird Protection in the O ld River-Valley of the Barycz. — By Bronislaw Ferens

T h e a u th o r p re se n ts a te n ta tiv e s o lu tio n o f th e d i f f i c u l t p r o ­ b le m c o n c e rn in g th e e ffe c tiv e r e a liz a tio n o f b ir d p ro te c tio n i n th e g re a t fis h -fa rm s s itu a te d in th e o ld r iv e r - v a lle y o f th e B a ry c z ; th e v a lle y a b o u n d s in a v ia n species d e s e rv in g o f p ro te c tio n .

T h e a b u n d a n c e o f b ir d - lif e is d e p e n d e n t h e re , a p a rt fr o m th e scarce p o p u la tio n , u p o n th re e fa c to rs : v a rio u s ty p e s o f fo re s t, th e presence o f g re a t p o n d s, a n d th e la rg e a g g re g a tio n s o f reeds, c a t ­ ta ils a n d o th e r p la n ts g ro w in g in th o se p o n d s . T h e p re s e rv a tio n o f a p e rm a n e n t b a la n c e o f w a te r a n d v e g e ta tio n , as w e ll as th e c o n s e rv a tio n o f a ll fo re s t ty p e s , is th e b a s ic c o n d itio n f o r th e p e r­

m a n e n t m a in te n a n c e o f th e a v ifa u n a in th e o ld r iv e r - v a lle y o f th e B a ry c z .

T h e changes in th e b io to p e a n d th e lo c a l b i r d m ig ra tio n s in th e fis h -fa rm s a lo n g th e B a ry c z re n d e r d i f f i c u l t in th is area th e c re a tio n o f s tr ic t b i r d s a n c tu a rie s based on fo r e ig n p a tte rn s .

T h e p ro b le m o f b ird s th a t are „ n o x io u s “ fr o m th e p o in t o f v ie w o f p is c ic u ltu r e c o n s titu te s a n o th e r p ro b le m in th e o ld riv e r- v a lle y o f th e B a ry c z . A te n ta tiv e s o lu tio n o f th is p ro b le m is p re ­ sented b y th e a u th o r in th re e p o in ts :

1. A l l th e b ird s l iv i n g in th e a b o v e -m e n tio n e d area e x c lu ­ s iv e ly o n fis h o u g h t to be a c c u ra te ly d e te rm in e d a n d lis te d as to t h e ir species.

2. T h e b ird s o f th is g ro u p o u g h t to be th e s u b je c t o f a c c u ra te s c ie n tific in v e s tig a tio n , th e a im o f w h ic h s h o u ld be a d e te r m in a tio n , b o th as to species a n d as to w e ig h t, o f th e fis h co n su m e d b y these b ird s .

3. R e s tric tio n s w it h re g a rd to th e b ir d - lif e in th e fo r m o f o r d in a r y s h o o tin g ( w it h o u t b o u n tie s ) o u g h t to be in tro d u c e d e x c lu

-s iv c ly w it h re g a rd to -such b ir d -specie-s th a t b y c o n -s u m in g fi-s h m a y in d e e d b r in g a b o u t s e rio u s a n d c o n s ta n t losses f o r th e fis h -fa rm s . I f such s h o o tin g causes no re d u c tio n in th e n u m b e r o f th e above- m e n tio n e d p is c iv o ro u s b ird s , a n d i f to th e c o n tr a ry t h e ir n u m b e r increases, o n ly th e n w o u ld i t be in d ic a te d to in tro d u c e te m p o ­ r a r il y s h o o tin g w it h b o u n tie s , w it h th e s tip u la tio n t h a t such s h o o t­

in g w o u ld ha ve to be c o n s ta n tly c o n tr o lle d a n d re g u la te d by p r o ­ p e r ly tr a in e d perso n s f a m ilia r w it h n a tiv e b ird s .

T h e in tr o d u c t io n a n d r e g u la tio n o f g a m e -s lio o tin g , as w e ll as s h o o tin g f o r b re e d in g o r se le c tiv e p u rp o s e s , s h o u ld n o t he p e r m it­

te d in th e o ld r iv e r - v a lle y o f th e B a ry c z u n t i l som e fu t u r e tim e . I n h is f i n a l c o n c lu s io n th e a u th o r asserts th a t th e c re a tio n o f s tr ic t ly p ro te c te d areas is u n a c h ie v a b le in such a r t if ic i a l la n d s , capes as th e p re s e n t-d a y o ld r iv e r - v a lle y o f th e B a ry c z .

The Problem of Stocking the Lakes of the Tatra Mountains with Fish.

— By Jerzy Paschalski

T h e s o u th e rn la ke s o f P o la n d , a lth o u g h n o t n u m e ro u s , are n e v e rth e le s s in te re s tin g as h a b ita ts . T h e y possess a n a tu r a l p is c i- fa u n a o f s a lm o n o id fis h o r one in tro d u c e d b y s to c k in g . T h e above- m e n tio n e d la k e s a rc c o m p o n e n t p a rts o f th e w h o le p h y s io g r a p h ic aspect o f th e T a tr a M o u n ta in s w h ic h are p ro te c te d , a n d in th e f u t u r e w i l l he p ro te c te d m o re a n d m o re s tr ic t ly , as one o l th e m o st v a lu e d N a tio n a l P a rk s in P o la n d . T h e re fo r e , c o n s id e re d in ad va n ce o u g h t to he th e p ro b le m o f th e p ro s p e c tiv e s to c k in g o l these la k e s w it h f is h ; th e la k e s s h o u ld he d e a lt w it h as s tr ic t o r p a r t ia l re s e rv a tio n s .

I n c o n ju c tio n th e r e w ith i t is p ro p o s e d th a t s to c k in g be p ra c ­ tic e d o n ly in cases w h e n th e n a tu r a l c o n d itio n s f o r f is h - lif e are in a d e q u a te , a n d th e n th e s to c k in g s h o u ld be d one o n ly w it h riv e r- t r o u t (S a lm a tr u t t a m . f a r io ) d e riv e d fr o m stre a m s in c lu d e d in th e r iv e r - n e tw o r k o f th e T a tr a M o u n ta in s , w it h th e e x c lu s io n o l o th e r sto ck in gsm ate r ia l. A v o id e d o u g h t to be s to c k in g w it > »ea t r o u t (S a lm o t r u t t a ) as a m ig r a t o r y fis h , th e v a lu a b le s to c k in g - m a te r ia l o f w h ic h w o u ld n o t f in d c o n d itio n s fa v o u r a b le to deve­

lo p m e n t and w h ic h c o u ld he d e s tro y e d b y la rg e r fis h b e fo re m ig r a t­

in g to th e sea.

I I

CORRESPONDENCE

A g re a t seasonal sheep m ig r a tio n , b y J 6 z e 1 K o 1 o w c a.