Zoology Films Previewed

Abstract

The following three zoology films, released by the International Film Bureau, Inc., of Chicago, were recently viewed by a group of college students and faculty members to determine their instructional values: THE NEWT (16 mm, sound, black and white), THE RABBIT (16 mm, sound, black and white), VEGE-TABLE INSECTS (16 mm, sound, color). All three films were rated high from the viewpoint of information and style of presentation. The only general criticism concerned the quality of the photographs, both black and white and color, but quality never prevented seeing clearly what was being depicted. THE NEWT is a film showing the life history and habits of the Smooth Newt,which is generally distributed throughout the world and which has a typical life history of the group. The external differences between the male and the female are clearly shown, with excellent transition from artwork to actual photographs.The entire life history of the newt is shown in this combination artwork-photographic style. THE RABBIT, likewise, is a life history film. Like THE NEWT, this film is British made. Consequently, some of the details of the life history do not compare with the life history and habits of our American rabbit, and the damaging effects of the rabbit are probably overemphasized because of the intensive truck patch agricultural system in the British Isles. VEGETABLE INSECTS, produced by the Dominion Department of Agriculture of Canada, is a color film which emphasizes the economic aspects of entomology, and as the name implies, shows especially the garden insects. The film is particularly valuable because of the close-up pictures of various types of insect mouth parts. The lengthy instructions on insect control methods, which are good for the film's intended viewer, make the film of less value for general zoology classes but even more valuable for classes in general entomology.All of these films are of the sort which you would like to see again and again in order to absorb and fully comprehend their content. The narration is not unnecessarily dramatic, as is often the case, but it is technical, professional, and still at the desirable student level.