Full Article - Notornis and Birds New Zealand
Transkript
Full Article - Notornis and Birds New Zealand
Vol. 4. No. 8. April, 1952 Notornis In continuation of New Zealand Bird Notes. Bulletin o f the Ornithological Society of N e u Zealand. Published Quarterly. I n cont'inuation of New Zealand B i r d Notes. Bulletin of the Ornithological Society of New Zealand. Regist'ered w i t h t h e G.P.O., Wellington, a s a Magazine. Edited by R. H. D. S T I D O L P H , 114 Cole Street, Masterton. Annual Subscription, 5 / - ; Endowment Membership, 10/-; L i f e Membership, .€S. BACK NUMBERS AVAILABLE.-Vol. 1, 15,'-; Vol. 2, 10,'-; Vol. 3, 10/-. O F F I C E R S 1951-52. President-MR. E. G. TURBOTT (.lluseum, Auckland). South Island Vice-President-Professor B. J. il1ARPLIES (Museum, D u n e d i n ) . Rd., TVellington North Island Vice-President-MR. C. A. FLEMING, 4",Vadestown Secretary-Treasurer-m. J. M. CUNNINGHAM, 39 Rerrall St., Masterton. Recorder-Mr. H. R. DIcI<ENZIE, Clevedon. Regional Organisers.-Auckland, M R . J. C. DAVENPORT (718 Remuera Road, Auckland, E.C. 2 ) ; H a w k e ' s Bay. REV. F . H. RORERTSON, Lindisfarne H a s t i n g s ) . \Vellingto~i, DR. R. A. FALLA (Dominion Museum) C h r i s ~ c h u r c h ' MR. E. X+. DATVSON ( 2 7 1 P a p a n u i Road) ; Dunedin, M R S . ' I . T I L Y ( 3 6 Stonelaw Terrace, Maori H i l l ) . . Vol. 4 No. S Pnblishcd Qnartcrly. Al'RI.li, l CONTENTS. I'agc Notornis in March, 1951, by G. R. TVilliams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 Some Food of North 1sl:md Kiwi, by L. G u r r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 Rnndom Notes on the Kiwi, by .I. I). Clnrk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 Tcrck S : m d l ~ i l ~ ea rt Miranda, by H. R. I\lcKenzie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 Bro\vn Booby in H;:nr:~lri Gulf. 11). 1' d. S. Stein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 I n d e x . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 NOTES.-.4nnnal Meeting, 2 0 1 ; AIeetings in Masterton, 2 0 1 ; Hudsonian Godwit a t Ituakaka, 208; Breeding of Grey Dock, 210; Meeting of Dunedin n l e n ~ l ~ c r s , 210; Nest Rscords a n d Beach Patrols, 212; Giant Petrel Recovery, 213; Norlh Tslnnd Colony of Spotted Shags, 214; B i r d Song Records Wanted, 214; Glossy I b i s in \Vcstlnird, 2 1 4 ; IZinging. 201; N e w 3Icml~crs,214. ANNUAL 1\,TEETING-In aceordcnco Avith t h e society's constitution, notice is given t h a t noniina1,inns of office~rsof the society f o r t h e ensuing financial year are to 11c in t h e hand~s of the scc:~et:~rvnot later than April 14. Such nominations nrust be in1 writing, lm signed b y twol ~ r ~ c n ~ h ea~n d , s ,h o :~ccompanicd :by t h e written consent of the nominee. Where r ~ ononrinatiou is received f o r any officc, t h e retiring officer is decn~etl t o b e -re-nol~rinatctl. The retiriug officers, listed nbove, a r c eligi*l)lef o r re-clection. Kotice of business to b e cliscussed at thc anr;u:d 111ec1,inglust also the in tile hancls of t h e secretary b y Ap'ril 14. The ~ ~ ~ c e t will i n g be hclil this y e w in Chri!;tcl~ureh 011 the evening of Friday, M a y 16, and a notice c ; ~ l l i n gthe ~ n c e t i n gwill be posted later. A~IEE1TNG;SI N l\lAS7.'I:,RrPO'N.-&,lasterton a n d di'strict members, a t lneeting held a t Wairarnps College on September 28, 1951, saw a fine series of f i l n ~ sof su'b-antarctic l~jrtl-life,show^^ by t h e president, Mr. E,. G. 'l'nrbott. There ~ m as I x g e attendance anil su,pper was served. On August 4, : d ~ o n t20 m c n h e r s visited n large starling roost near 3 ) l : ~ s t e ~ t o n . A t t h a t da.te i t \\.:LS e,stinmted t h a t there were about 80,000 birds i n t h e roost. ;L 1ilNGING.-Nembers a r e r e q ~ c s t e d t o conlplete their linging scheclnlcs a n d retnrn them innnediately to t h e convener of t h e Ringing Cornnnttce, Mr. J. 11. Cunningham. All rings used up t o 3la1ch 31 should be shon n, together with all "repeats" anld "recoveries. " NOTORNLS l N MARCH, 1951. A REPORT OE' 'I'IIE: SIXTH EXPEDI'L'ION. .By G. R. ~ ' i l l i a ~ n :(X.Z. , Wildlife Service). Bet\\-cen the dates of 3::th and 1'9t!! March, 1951, a sisth party of oml-)servers cornprising l?. L. Ncwcon~be, F. Woodrow a n d C. K. McIvor a n d the writer ca.rried out a reconnaisannce in t h a t p a r t of the Murchison 1iang.e i,n t h e Fiordland National I'ark t h a t i s the only known habitat of t h e takahe (Notornis hochsrtettieri). One of t h e party, P. TVoodrow, had spent a g r e a t desl of time in thc a r e a snaring deer a n d trapping possihle predators hetween early Novelnher, 3950, arid t h e initial d a t e of this experlitinn. H e h a d :~'lsoreconnoitred new country, finding further small colonics 01 ta.kahe to t h e south and west. The princip:~! ol~je'ctsof our visit were three-Sold:(,i) To assess the reisultn of t,he 1050-.?l Breeding season; ( i i ) To a d d further t o Gut ktrowletl~geof the general behaviour of the ljirrls hy making a vi,sit a t a t,inle a.t I\-hich there! had been no previous study; (iii) To rndte a census which I\-oultl include thosc :l?eas \\-here 111o1.c t:~lr:the \yore recently fonn(1. l h i s paper i:1 a r e ~ o r dof the pooled ol~servationsof t,!ie ~ n e n r l ~ e r s of t h e party. The rcsuks obtained, t,oget,Iie~r n-it11 those fronr earlier parties ( F a h .IN!?, 1951 ; Pleming, 19.51; Nier's, 1950; T u ~ i s o t t ,111.51; Williams, 1050) furnisn :L recorti t h a t cc)\-crs the year except I'or t h a t p a l t I.~et\reen mid-autunm and l a t e winter. I l o s t of tlie,se authors hzve ilescrihctl the h a b i t a t i n some deixil h u t so Par no u ~ e n t i o nhas ~ l ~ e enrade n of rainfall which .is proimhly a t least 100 inclres annually. I 7 1:J':fSULTS O F THE 1950-51 BRqEE;DlhTGSIGASON. 'I'he last fe\\-'months of 3930 and t h e first three 1 1 1 o n t 1of~ 1951 \\-ere unusually d r y a n d wild in t h e South I ~ ~ l i ~a nndd the autumn was notable n o t o,111y f o r t h c low levels t o which all the lalms fell ( t h a t in Takahe Valley wa's approsin1:~tely one foot below t h e February, 1950, levelj h u t g shrubs. a,lso f o r t h e heavy crops borne b y t h e I ~ e r r y - p ~ o d u c i n11:rtive I t is quite possible t h a t this rnild season hacl i t s effect on t h e outcome of tho breecliug scasou of N80t~ornis.Hatching of chicks had occurred a s early a s t h e e i ~ dof O'ctol~er o r the beginning of -November, for t h a t melubcr of our p a r t y on duty ill the a w l in mid-November saw a chick at t h x t t,inie i)ei~lgf e d hy thc parcr~ts. By M ; ~ r e h:I, total of five diflereut chicks llsd beer1 reeorcled :it one t i ~ ~ !or e attother :ti:(l t h e w w a s evidence i n t h e way of f a i r l y recent ehick d r o p p i ~ ~ gtha.t s two inore had been hatched. TII Fcbluary, 1950, only one ehic.1i as lrr~own10 31c surviving i n a n area where three were found ,in t h k follon-ing season. The five definitely recortled cilicks were rlistril~nteil ns follows: 'Fn-o in Taknhc Vzlley, two in t h e P o i n t Bucn and one in t h e so-called Mystery Burn which saddles with t h e south-~vosternside of t h e Point Hnrn. The two chicks whosc existencc was snpporled (17y only c i r c u n ~ s t a r ~ t i aevidence l were locatecl, one tin a cofrie ou t h e l'oint Hurn side of the ridge between t h a t valley a n d t h e Mystery Uulm, and the other on the 'southern side of t h e head of Takzhe Valley. I t irill ,be corl\;enient when describing t h e whercal~o~~ cft st , l l ~chicks in tho two 111airi \;alleys t o r c f e r t o Fleniing's m a p of the a r e a given on page l17 of Notornis 4 (.?), .Tulp, 19.51. Tn Takaht. V:r'lley pairs A and C ( t h e l a t t e r probably t h e i;:bnle :is pair J ) hatched :L ehick c a d ; a n d in the Point H'urn, pair Cr. had :L n-ell-gron-n youngster, and y e t another \\m aeco:npanying a pa.ir ~ v h i c h nlight be called "TJ" found occupying g r o u , ~ ~ talt over 3,000 feet x.s.1. a t the north-western hoad 02 .the P o i n t l3u1.11. Evidence \\-ill he offered later which suggests strongly t h a t pairs A aucl C: a r e t h e s:me 3s thosc k n o ~ v n t o h a r e hatched a n d a t least p r t i a l l y - r a i s e chick's in t h e 1949-50 season. 1 % ~ A presumably raised :L chicli ill t h e 1848-49 scason also (E'all:~ 7919). P a i r D, 3\-11o tre!re. ~ I I C I W T ro I I!:i\-t: l~atchetl :I chick in early 202 December, 1949, were not seen to have done so this year. However, one of this pair was reported on January l l t h , 1951, t o still be sitting on a n empty nest which i t had occupied for a t least 36 days. To the quota of addled and infertile eggs listed by Falla (loc. cit) may be added yet another found (by F. Woodrow i n the E t h i c k Burn. I t s dimensions were 7.32cm. X 4.94cm. 6 THE MOULT. At the time of this survey the adult post-nuptial moult was virtually over a s only a few shed feathers were found and the adult birds were in magnificent plumage. I n early February of the previous year the moult was in full progress and qumbers of dropped feathers were found in the n~oulting place,s which were usually situated beneath shrubs. From observations made iby me on previous visits and from reports already published (Falla, 1949) it appears that the post-nuptial moult begins about the latter part of January and continues until about the beginning of March. As for the chicks, they have shed most of their dowr, a t about eight weeks of age : ~ n dhave assumed in i t s place a first teleoptyle plumage similar t o that of the adult . (Fleming, loc. cit.) The time a t which this change occurs has been calculated from observations made on the live dgwny chick, then less than six weeks of age belonging to pair A that was seen by the party i n February, 1950, and from the appearance of the' dead chiclr found a t the same time which had almost certainly been seen alive in mid-December and so was approxiniat~lyeight to ten weeks old During our stay only one young bird was seen a t close quarters-it belonged to pair G. and was about three-quarters of the adult size. This is lsrger than any chick previously observed and i t is assumed therefore that the age i n this case was somewhere between three and four months. The untidy plumage of the head, neck and dorsal surface appeared, in the short glimpses t h a t were had of it, to be a very dark brown with paler mottlin'g and the colour of the bill was still t,he dull slatey grey of the fledgling stage but without any white a t the tip. Falla, in a personal communication, has recalled that some first teleoptyle p l m a g e s lose their bright colours rather rapidly and Fleming has remarked (loc. cit.) t h a t the down 6f adolescent rails soon fades. I n the pukeko (Porphyrio polioeephdw) to which the takahe is closely allied (Mayr 1949) the appearance of the downy chick ia very similar indeed to that of Notornis and incipient quills faintlly blue in colour appear nix weeks after hatching. Between the eighth and twelfth week tail feathers become well-developed but the frontal shield and legs are a t this time still only tinged with red. At %bout iourteen weeks the assumption of adult plumage i s almost ~ o m p l e t e(Guthrie-Smith, 1927). BEHAVIOUR O F T B E CHICK. Observations were confined t o the young bird belonging to pair G, as the other two seen (that )belonging to pair L and the one i n the Mystery Burn) were so wary and shy a s t o make any useful observation impossible. P a i r G's chick was shy also but fortunately was more suitably placed for careful stalking. Although the birds of pair A werc observed nmny timcs a t close range during the course of our visit, the well-gown Deceaber-hatched chick that, fro= time to time, was seen to be regnlarly in their company until the end of F'ebruary was now no longer with them and so i n t h e absence of any evidence to the contrary is presumed to have left them permanently. I t was last seen during the first week of March feeding independently of the parents and was then extremely shy. Pair C (or J) and their youngster were last reported together i n late December. The pariy was unable to find them on their territory although fresh feeding signs and droppings mere present. When undisturbed, pair G's chick mas always found i n conlpany with i t s parents and on one occasion was observed between them moving a t a good walking pace through the beech forest and keeping up a continuous hoarse whistle (a. bass version of the juvenile "cheep") which was frequently answered by a soft "klowp" from one or both of the closely- 203 attendant adults. On catching sight of the observer all broke into a very fast run and made off in different directions, the young bird moving with great speed, its head held so low that no part of the body was visible above the tussocks of the snow grasses. After being separated from the parents for a short time it uttered what was perhaps a distress cry or a n attempt to make the aduglt assembly call. This was a peculiar harsh and jangling medley of sounds difficult to describe and unlike any call yet heard from an adult. Observations made a t a slighllly earlier date on the chick belonging to pair A have indicated that about this age the young bird is quite able to feed itself without any as,sistance from tho parents. ADULT BEHAVIOUR.. Feeding.-The following plants are now known to be used as food, the list being compiled from a collection of those species that the birds have actually been seen to be eating or those showing the typical feeding signs of fallen shoots with cleanly-nipped leaf bases. Analysis of the droppings has not proceeded very f a r because of the difficult and timeconsuming nature of the work. Family. Species. P a r t s Eaten Seeds Gramineae ApmstCs dyeri Danmonia crassiuscul~ Leaf bases ,, flavescens Seeds and leaf bases ,, rigicla Leaf bases ,, setif olia ' Leaf bases ,, teretifolia Leaf bases Festuca m a t t h m i i Seeds Hierochloe a l p h a Seeds Poa aolensoi Seeds and leaf bases Cyperaceae Carex testacea Leaf bases Violaceae Viola filicaulis Leaves Umbellif era0 Leaf bases Aciphylla cuthbcrtiana Compsitae Celmisia petriai Leaf bases ,, verbascifolia Leaf bases . Most of these items, except, of course, the seeds, seem to be eaten all the year round, but the Dantbmias make up by f a r the bulk of the food. When availabde, the seeds of Feectuci matthewsid are taken in great quantity. I t is not claimed that the list is exhaustive, for in winter a t least there is evidence t h a t the diet includes other material-some change being made necessary because of occasional heavy snowfalls covering up the usual foodstuffs. The insectivorous habit of the fledgling has already been the subject of some discussion by Gurr (1951). OCCUPATION OF TERRITORY. This was still a well-marked feature of the behaviour of paired birds and i t would be as well here to list those grounds upon which evidence for i t is based:(i) The Occurrence of Droppings: These are generally long-lasting, perhaps remaining for years in dry sheltered positions although likely to be destroyed by heavy rain when fresh; and the distinction between fresh, recent and old droppings i s easily and readily m a d e b e i n g Indicated in the recent and old by t h e degree of bleaching and the shrinkage of the components. I t is noticeable that fresh and recent droppings are usually found in m-ell-defined areas separated by expanses wherc only a few old droppings exist. (ii) Feeding Signs: Once again c1a:;sificstion int:, age classee is possible. The limits of these cannot be lefined 3 3 clearly a s those of the droppings but there is close accordancc in the distribution of corresponding age classes of droppings and feeding relics. (Fi) Calling and Sight Records: These are most frequent in the vicimty of those places where they have been reported on previous Visits and are separated by areas where the ,birds are rarely seen or heard even though the habitat seems suitable. (iv.) Distribution of Nests: New and old nests have been found concentrated i n much the same places for three seasons now. (v.) The Movements of 4Llabelled" Pairs: By studying pairs accompanied by a chick-pabr A i n the 1949-50 season and pair G in the 1950-51 season-it has been possible to get a clear picture of the territory each family was occupying. (vi,) Fighting: Disputes over what were apparently territorial infringements have been seen by a numlber of observers during the spring and early summer months (e.g. Falla 1949). All the criteria mentioned above show a n excellent degree of correspondence in the areas i n wbich they occur. However, tho fact that droppings and feeding s i p s can be found linking the apeas of concentration indicates that more extensive movements do occur and there is evidence that these are commonest in winter and early spring when food is in shorter supply and has to be sought more actively. Unmated birds, too, would be expected to show a greater tendency to wander than mated palrs. Territorial behaviour so constant in i t s manifestation ( c f . Cramp's comments (1947) on territory in the coot, Fulica a. atra) indicates that the pair bond once formed is of long duration and that the life span of a bird is a t least of t h e order of the total period the species has been under observation t o date-that is, .about three years. T'his i s not unlikely for a bird the size of a takahe. To what extent a very low replacement rate in the numfbcr of chicks successfully hatched and raised yearly is offset by a correspondingly long expectation of life will not be known until more has been discovered about the population trends. This must await the institution of a banding programme which will, a t the same tine, supply important and reliable information on territory and generat1 behaviour. Flemlng (loc. cit.) has discussed in a n interesting fashion the functional morphology of Notornis and has compared i t with that of Porphyrio, dram-ing attention to Mayr's remarks already cited on the systematic affinities of the two genera. I n bohaviour, too, there are points of resemblance although there i s surprisingly little of real value in the literature concerning the behaviour of Porphyrio i n detail and, of course, theie has been little chance yet to study Notornis intensively. But for those who are interested there is much t h a t is suggestive to be gleaned from a reading of the papers of Berney (1907) and Mathews (1911) and the book of Guthrie-Smith (1927) already quoted in reference to the moult. Further, i t is well-known that in the Rallidae both sexes very frequently s h x e the task of incubation and this is so with the pukeko. So far, i t seems to have been generally assumed that only the female attends to this task in the case of the takahe. Since there are no obvious secondary sex characteristics in this species except, perhaps, the rather unreliable one of size to dlom for discrimination, the possibility should be entertained that the male and female both take part i n this activity. THE CENSUS. The party covered as much a s possible of the known range of the takahe and in this i t was greatly assisted by the more extensive and solo explorations made earlier in the year by F. Woodrow. I t was in the course of this work that he found the small colonies further to the south and west just beyond the 'limits of the previously known range. Using Falla's (1951) enumeration of pairs a s a basis we may summarise the position a s we found i t in March, 1951, as follows:Pair A.-Still on territory. Had a mell-grown chick last seen a t the end of February. 205 Pair B.-Not seen, but as was the case in the previous, year, their existence is presumed from fresh feeding signs and remains of recent nests. The territory of this pair is on the open tops bounding the northern side of Takahe Valley and is wellseparated from the valley itself by steep.slopes and limestone bluff S. Pair C.-Presumed by us to be the same as pair J. Seen last with a chick in late Deceinber. None of these birds were sean during this expedition, but the presence of a t least one bird is suggested by the occurrence within the bounds of their territory of fresh droppings and feeding signs. The Danthonia grasses grow particularly luxuriantly hereabouts and afford excellent and ample cover. Pair D.-Appar'ently not breeding this year. Hatched a chick last year which lster died. Pair E.-No nest founic. Two addled eggs laid last year. Pair F.-In an unpublished report Miers records this pair as near the head of Takahe Valley. I t s existence was stated to be doubtful by Falla (1951). The party found two paira in the vicinity of the valley head-seeing one pair whilst hearing a second pair cdl. Ono I call F, the other K. Pair G.-Seen with a well-grown chick. Had one egg in the pre--:ous season, the f a t e of which is unknown. Pair H.-Reported by Mien to be above the forest line on the southern side of the Point Burn. This record is based on the hearing of a call. Falla reports it as doubtful, with which opinion we agree. Pair J.-I feel that the evidence for two pairs, one on either side of the stream running into t h e head of the lake, is not satisfactory. The two suggested territories are very close together and do not show any clew separation, and the supposed two pairs have not yet been seen or heard under conditions that make their sepsrate existence seem reasonably certain. Pair I<.-A new record. On the northern side of the cirque a t the very head of Talrahe Valley. This pair was further to the west and higher up than pair P which was also on the northern side of the valley a t this time. Pair L.--A new record. Occupies the cirque a t the north-western end of the Point Burn. One chick was also present. This territory is perhaps two miles from that of pair G which had been seen earlier in the day. P a i r M.-Suggested by very fresh signs found in a hanging valley high above the northern side of Takahe Valley. This territory is directly above but some distance from (perhaps hatlf a mile) the nearest known part of pair D's territory. It is possible, therefore, that pairs D and M may be o,ne and the same. Single Birds.-One seen on the Point Burn Flat i n #or near pair G's territory. Pair Q m7as seen and heard b y two observers almost immediately afterwards about half a mile away, so there is no possibility of confusion here. Long observation of this bird afforded no evidence t h a t i t was paired. A further single bird was seen in January in 'be rorrie referred to previously on the qidge between the Point Burn a n 3 Mystery Burn and what was possibly another single bird waz rep3rted to be heard calling from the southern side of Takahe Valley near its head on the occasion when pair Iil was under observation. T'hus, i n Takahe Valley, we now know fairly definitely of seven pair2 (A, B, C, D, E. F, K) and two chicks, with the possibility of one other pair (M) and one solitary adult. I n the Point Burn we know of two pairs (G and L), two chicks and two single birds-a total population 206 f o r t h e main a r e a a t t h e approximate time of our visit of between 23 a n d 27. F r o m F. Woodrow's provious work in t h e explored p o r t i h s of valleys t o t h e south and west of t h e Mystery B u r n a n d t h e Ettriclr Burn there is evidence of one pair a n d one chick, with two single birds i n t h e Mystery Burn a n d one single bird i n t h e E t t r i c k Burn. The known total f o r t h e at-present explored range of this species lay, then, a t this time, somewhere between 30 a n d 35 individuals. It is worth noting a t this point t h a t nowhere within t h e entire known range has t h e species been seen (or signs of i t s presence found) below a n altitude of 2000 feet. I n this, t h e four specimens t a k e n last century a r e notable exceptions. DE,ER A N D T A K A H E Apart from t h e danger t h a t may exist during t h e birds' breeding season of deer treading on nest or chicks, there i s perhaps a greater danger of increased or even uncontrolled deer herds so altering t h e environment i n t h e sub-alpine meadows where t h e birds feed f o r most of t h e y e a r and make ;hen- nests, t h a t food a n d cover will eventually be greatly diminished. Already i n the northern basin t h a t forms p a r t of t h e grcat amphitheatre st t h e head of t h e Point Burn there is evidence t h a t t h e presence of deer i~accelerating t h e normal processes of erosion, f o r on t h e tops of t h e ridges (here about' 4,500 feet high) t h a t separate this valley from t h e southern branch of t h e E t t r i c k Burn, deer trails a r e common; t h e bare e a r t h i s exposed, a n d steep and narrow scree slopes mar t h e otherwise smooth curves of t h e snowgrass-covered walls of t h e cirque t h a t encloses this end of t h e valley. Lower down on the boggy glacial benche, there a r e places mhero the thick covering of t h e various grasses a n d herbs has been totally destroyed over many square yards a n d turned into muddy deer ~~-allows.Decr feed on species of Danthonia t h a t t h e talcahe have beex shown t o depsnd upon i n large part f o r food and nesting cover a n d on species a t least closely related t o those other alpine g r a s ~ e swhose seeds f o r m what i s probably a most important p a r t of the birds' G e t in late summer and a u t u n n . A t present, fortunately, the deer populatlrin is not hlgh a n d is denser in those vallcrs t o the south and west of t h e main colony, possibly because t h e other valleys a r e a t a lower altitude. F o r instance, in the Point Burn (which is about 2503 f e e t above sea level and 500 f e e t below Takahe Valley) deer trails are common i n the beech forest and fresh droppings a r e frequent throughout; whereas i n T a l r a h ~Valley such sign is much less abundant. Although predator control is generally considered t o be a n inefficient method of protcction of a prey species i t is felt to be specially justified i n t h i s case a s t h e most dangeious potential predator-the stoat-is quite foreign t o Ihe original environment. so adaptation t o i t s presence has ' not been developed through natural d e c t i o n , and a tribute must be paid t o F. Woodrow f o r his long a n d conscientious work, nhieh in addition to ensuring Lhe safely of t 5 e birds, has added much t o our knowledge. The following is a list of the animals destroyed within t h e range of the t a k a h c since i t s rediscovery in 1948. (Numbers a r e approximate only) :Red deer' (Cervus elaphus) ................................................................. Stoats (Mustela erminea) .................................... Australian opossums ( T r i c h o s m s vulpecula) ........... , 38 19 54 OTHER BIR8DS. A t o t a l of 19 native and four exotic species were seen or heard during t h e time of our party's st,?y. A new record f o r this p a r t of the Bfurchison Range w a s t h a t of a pair of rock wrens (Xenicus gilviventris) seen among shrub; 0.1 a talus slopo a t the head of t h e Point Burn a t a n altitude of about 3503 leet. The redpolls, cl:afEnches, goldfinches and yellowhnmmcrs reported front Takahe Valley on most of t h e previous visits, including t h a t of l a t e winter in August, 1949, were on this occasion conspicuously absent. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Acknowledgment is made to Mr. F. Newcombe f o r field notes and the contribution of certain facts unknown to the writer; to Mr. F. Woodrow, f o r information and for his energy and enthusiasm which contributed much to the success of the expeditidn; to Mr. C. E. McIvor, , the for continued assistance; and t o Messrs. V. Zotov and B. H ~ m b l i n of Botany Division, D.S.I.R., for advice in the identification of food plants. BIBLIOGRAPHY. Berney, F. L. (1907)-Field notes on birds of the Richmond District, Norih Queensland. Emu 6, pp. 106-115. Cramp, S. (1947).-Notes on Territory i n the Goot. Brit. Birds 40, pp. 194-198. Falla, R. A. (1949).-Notornis Rediscovered; Emu 48, pp. 316-322. Falla, R. A. (1951).-The Nesting Season of Notomis; Notornis 4, pp. 37-100. Fleming, C. A. (195l).-Notornis in February, 1950; Notorniss 4, pp. 101-106. . . Gurr, L. (1951)-Food of the Chick of ~ o t o r n i shochstetteri; Notornis 4, p. 114. Guthrie-Smith, H. (1927)-Birds of the Water, Wood and Waste. (2nd edition London). Mathems, G. M. (19ll).-The Birds of Australia, Vol. 1, p. 243. Mayr, Er. (1949).-Notes on the Birds of Northern Melanesia. Amer. Mus. Novit. No. 1417. Miers, K. H. (1950).-N~otorcis Valley (Report of Gymposium). N.Z. (Geograph. Soc. Rec. No. 9: p. 6. Turbott, E. G. (1951).-Winter Olbservations on Notornis i n 1949. Notornis 4: 107-113. Williams, G. R. (1950).-An Almost Extinct Bird. Discovery 11, pp. 216-219. I HUDlSONIAN CODWIT AT RUAKAEA.-On 12/12/51, Messrs. R. N. (Buttle, S. C. Rutherfurd, V. M. Rutherfurd, T. J. Short and I were fortunate i n finding a Hudsonian godwit (Limosa 1. haemaEitica) a t Ruakaka, and i n being ablle to watch i t a t leisure. k $solitary godwit which was intently feeding within a chain of t h e footbridge which crosses the Ruakaka 8tream to the A A . camp, was npticed t o have a black tail and when i t raised a wing, a white rump. Fearless to the point of absurdity as I walked it up, i t ran about ten yards ahead and, to make i t fly in .order that its diagnostic pattern (v. N.Z.B.N. 3, 199) might be seen by my companions who were w8,tching from the bridge, I was forced to hustle it. . Even then i t alighted almost immediately. On the two occasions when I put i t up,'it uttered a sharp but not far-carrying doublenote "kit-keet," quite disti-nct from the noisier and more tuneful "kewkew" of the common N.Z. godwit (L. lamonica baueri). I was glad to hear this call a s I have not beeqpble to record any note from the four Hudsonian godwit5 which I have seen !before, all of which have been i n flocks of ,other waders. Before we left, a fairy tern (S. nereis) flew up the estuary and hovered not f a r from the Hudsonian godwit, so t h a t these two rare N.Z. birds could be seen a t once. We revisited the estuary on 20/12/51 and the tide being a t the same low level, found presumably the same two rare birds again feeding within a few yards of one another. It i s t o be hoped that the Hudsonian godwit did not suffer for its fearless or foolish indifference t o man, a s the estuary becomes a bedlam of campers over Christmas. This is not the first record of the Hudsonicln godwit for the east coast of Northland. Messrs. C. A. Fleming and S. D. Potter and I saw one a t Mangawai, 16 miles to the south, on 24/11/40. (Emu 43, 136).-E. B. Sibson, Auckland. 208 . SOME FOOD OF THE NORTH ISLAND KIWI. ( A P T E R T X AUSTRALIS.) By L. Gurr, Nelson. 111 spite of t h e extensive literature on t h e kiwis, Buller (1868) appears t o be t h e only writer t o record in a n y detail t h e food of these birds. The stomach contents of two birds, both females, taken during a collecting t r i p i n t h e Pirongia Ranges i n October, 1862, were examined a n d found t o contain t h e fol!owing:Three wetas (Dienacrida), t e n huhu grubs (Prionoplus) mostly of large size, a n d 3 small brown beetle (Coptomna), several e a r t h w o r m and a large earthworm egg-cocoon. Somc berries of t h e maire (Olea SPP.) a n d ) . second bird contained a number of of tailro (Fimanus c ~ u i n g h a ~ i i The insect remains (not identified), some minute land snails a n d a large number of t h e hard kernels of taiko berries, these Buller suggested t h e kiwi swallowed in lieu of quartz pchbles f o r triturating the food. I n t h e stomech of m o t h e r which he opened afterwards, he Pound a number of angular pieces of p e b b k ; others contained t h e hard kernels of pohaka (Elaeocarpus hookeriams), miro (Podocaxpus ferruginm), maire, a n d hinau (Elamcarpus dentatus). I n view of t h e dearth of specific statements in t h e literature and t h e erroneous, b u t popular idea t h a t kiwis live almost entirely on earthworms, it secms worth while t o record i n detail t h e stomach contents of a kiwi submitted t o me f o r examination. . The bird, a fentale, which w a s knocked down a n d killed b y a c a r on t h e Waihi B e x h Eoad, 4 miles from Waihi, had been sent to the Auckland Zoological P a r k and i t is through the courtesy of the D i ~ e c t o r , Mr. R. W. Coach, t h a t I received the stomach contents. They a r e s s follows:Twenty-three stones ranging i n size f r o m 2.0 X 1.7 mm. t o 12.2 X 11.0 mm. Most of them snowed signs of considerable erosion, several igneous ones being diffe~entiallyeroded, leaving a very efficient grinding surf ace. A N I M A L REMAINS. CrustaceaIsopodaOniscidae (woodlicc), 2, 1 entire l fragmentary. MyriapodaChilopoda (centipedes), 5; 3 Commcepkalis rubriceps; ~ a r d a myctes validus 2; all entire. Diplopoda (millipedes), 4; Isp., 1 entire, 3 fragmentary. InsectaOrthoptera (weta), 1, fragment of prothorax. Lepidoptera (moths), 2, 1 larvs, fragment of skin; 1pupa, entire. IIemiptcra (cicada), 1, larva, forelegs only. Coleoptera (beetles)Carabidae (ground beetles) 5, 3 spp., 3 entire, 2 fragmentary. Curculionidae (weevils) 5, 2 spp, E l y t r a only. Scarabaeidae (chafors) 1, 1 sp E l y t r a only. ArachnidaOpilioncs (harvestmen) 2, 2spp. pro. and opisthosoma's only. Araneida (spiders) 2 Araneomorphne (web spinners) fragments. l Mygalomorphae (trap-door-spiders) fragment. VEGETABLE REMAINS. F o r t h e identification of these I a m indebted t o Miss R u t h Mason, of t h e Botany Division of t h e Dept. of Scientific a n d Industrial Research. Eparidaceae ( t h e Australian heath family). Lmcopogon fasciculatus (tall mingi-mingi) : 3 leaves. Cyathodes acerosa (pungent mind-mingi) : 2 leaves. 209 Myrtaceae (myrtle family)Iaephpelp2'~ms p (manuka) : 2 leaves. LoganiaceaeCieniosboma ligwtrifolium (haagehawe): 2 valves of capsule. As weli as the above, iwo lumps of material that appear t o be the endosperm of a seed. In addition to the above, I have lbcen cuble to cxamine the insect parts only from sorr~ekiwi droppings. These had been preserved and kept a t the E8ntomolo,g Research Station, Cawthron Institute, Nelson. They were collecled i n ~September,1949, iby Mr. E. Rye, i n the Tangahua Ranges, North Auckland. They were as follow:YyriapodaChilopoda (centipedes): Head and several segments of the body. InsectColeoptera (beetles)Carabidae (ground beetles): Fragment of an adult. Elateridae (click beetles): 1 sp. 2 larvae, entire. Scercubaeidae (chafers): lsp. 9 larvae, 1 entire, the rest, head capsules only; 1 sp. 1 adult, fragmentary. Hymenoptera (ants, 'bees, wasps, etc.)Formiciodae (ants) : .l adult, entire. ArachnidaAraneida (spiders): l palp only. I t appears, therefore, from the foregoing, that the kiwi's range of animal food is wide both jn variety and size and the nature of the vegetable remains suggest t h a t the kiwi could serve as a dispersal agent for seeds. REIW8ENCE. History of the Birds of New Zealand." Buller, W. L. (1888).-"A second edition, vol. 2, pp 318-319, London. BREEDING OF T H E GEXY DlUCX AT' MOA POINT.--On October 25, 1951, while i n search of some ma,terial for a museum exhibit, I came upon a grey duck (Anas superciliosa Gmelin) with seven ducklings. The latter were i n down, snd, but a Pew days old. The birds were ashore, a few yards from the water's edge, and on my approach the parent bird made for the ,sea and the young followed. The ducklings kept close to the parent and she led thein away between the rocks. At one time a black-backed gull (LW dominicanus Lkhstenstein) came overhead, and, for a moment, i t looked a s if the gull intended t o swoop down upon them. The duck "gathered" her young under a n oveflLauging ledge of rock while she remained on the outside. After a while the gull flew off. The ducks finally disappeared among the rocks. On referring the matter to Mr. R. K. Dell and Mr. J. Moreland, they informed me that they came upou a nest wiLh eggs not f a r from the point where I made this observation, the previous season, a t about the same time of the year. The nest was hiddcn under some taupata (Coproma mpens Rich.). Incidcntally, it might be of interest to add t h a t I fcund two ducklings, in down, washed up on the beach a t Pulrerua Bay i n September of 1948. From these records it would appear thct the grey duck does occasionally breed along the coast within reach of the sea.-C. McCann, Dominion Museum. MEETING O F DUNEDIN MElMBEES.-Oh October 1, 1951, a wellattended meeting of Dunedin members and friends was held in the Biology Lecture Room a t t h e Otago Museum. Professor B. J. Marples occupied the chair, and the local regional organiser spoke briefly on the need for members to be active recorders, and suggested ways and methods of activity. Recordings of bird-songs, some of native birds recordod in Dunedin, and some of introduced birds, were heard, and films of bird-life shown. 210 RANDOM NOTES ON THE KIWI. By J. D. Clark, Opotiki. On Thursday, June 23, 1949, a n injured kiwi caught on the night of June 21, in a n opossum trap on Mr. E. P r a t t ' s property, about ten miles up the Waioeka Gorge, from Opotiki, mas brought to me. I t s right leg was badly broken just above the foot. On the following day, Dr. Armstrong dressed the mound and reduced the compound fracture of the foot, which was placed in splints. Considerable difficulty was experienced in getting the bird t o swallow worms, a f e a t which was achieved only by placing them a t the back of the tongue with a pair of tweezers. On June 25 a tin of worms covered with earth, and a tin of water were placed in the box with the kiwi. B y 10 a.m, the next day the kiwi had eaten all the worms i n the tin and pushed off the lid of its box and escaped, to be found a n hour later i n a dark corner under old timber azld boxes. The kiwi slept with i t s bill under its rudimentary left wing. On July 11, the dreasiag was taken off the foot, which had gone gangreIious. I amputated the foot and dressed the stump, and in subsequont days further dead tissue and pieces of bone wefe removed either by Dr. Armstrong o r myself. By the time the bird left for the Auckland Zoo, the foot had healed. The kiwi showed fight when a dog came near by raising the feathers on its (back, similar to a c a t raising its hair. The bird then raised its head and made a vigorous forward kick with,its good foot a t the dog, a t the same time hissing. The kiwi, under the name of "David," left for the Auckland Zoo on August 20, 1949. Inquiries were made as to the preseuoe of the kiwi in the district. Thirty-five were reported and of these 28 were checked on for details of t r a ~ p i n gor finding, these being distributed as follows: Waimana, 4; WaioeTa Gorge area, 9; Woodlands, 13; coast, 1; Kutarere, 1. Waioeka and Woodlands are adjoining areas, separated from the Waimana area by the Waiotahi Valley, from where I can get no reports of the kiwi. The locality where David" n-as csught in the Waioeka Gorge was about 2000 feet high. I n three seasons (1947, 1948, 1949) six had been caught near the same place. Bonie hod only the centre toe injured, others their legs broken. The birds were liberated. All were caught in high beech country on rough, stormy nights. A farmer further up the Waioeka Go:ge showed me a range opposite his cowshed where some kiwis have been for about the last four years. They call more frequently ,on dull or wet evenings. The ridge is a good place for wild pigs. On account of the kiwis being there the farmer endesvours to kecp all pig hunters off the area so a s not to distur(b the birds. I n the high country a t Wjoodlands, a farmer who is a keen observer of nature, states there are plenty of kiwis i n the bush there. A trapper who operated there in 1942 and 1843 caught four each year. Some were killed and others injured were liberated again. O'ther kiwis have been caught in the farmer l traps. One, s very large bird, fiercely attacked him when he tried t o liberate i t and with its bill and claws injured his hand SG severely t h a t he still carries the scars. After the bird was liberated it followed him for some distance, showing fight before it took cover. H e says kiwis make scratchings among fallen leaves much deeper than those of the domestic fowl. I n the middle of August, 1949, a nest containing two eggs was found a t Waimana by a farnler's daughter. The nest was i n a hole about a foot deep, a t the bottom of a bank on the edge of the bush. The kiwi was almost invis~blewhen sitling on the nest which was under a punga trunk lying amvng ferns. The n w t was well concealed and there was ' another hole about two yards away as if the bird had changed the site of the nest, or perhaps had used the second nest t h e previous year. 211 'TEREK SANDPIPER AT MIRANDA. By H. R. RldKenzie, Clevedon. The appearance ofqa Terelr sandpiper (Xenus cinereus) a t Miranda on 22/11/51 is the first recorded occurrence for New Zealand. I was scanning some small waders when I saw a sandpiper flying with some wrybill (Anashynchus frontalis). The party settled on the mud near the tide line and I immediately focussed with my binouulara to ascertain the species oif the odd bird. At once I saw the bright orange legs and then the long dark upturned bill. R. B. Sibson has long maintained that we should see i n New Zealand any migrant birds which visit Australia. Acting upon this theory I have studied the descriptions of such birds so had no trouble i n recognising this one, which has such distinctive features. D. A. Urquhart; Further observations were made a s follow:-1/1/52, 2/1/52, R. B. Sibson and H. T. Revell; 4/1/52, C. A. Flemjng, W. P. Mead, D. Mead and H.R.McK.; 6/1/52, Miss N. Macdonald and H.R.McK. I t was not found on January 13, 19 and 20, but was located on March 1, three milrjs south-east along the coast, resting in a cultivated paddock with a fleck of c. 900 wrybill. I t rose, calling, a t some distance, and flew right away. The orange legs and feet and long, dark upturned bill have already been mentioned. The base of the bill was yellowish; 11ead all grey; no definite eye-stripe; large rounded grey patch covering side of neck, shoulder and upper side of breast; the narrow space across the breast between the patches very light grey; white under; pronounced w h i ~ t hind edge of wing in flight. This description, compared with Witherby ("The Handbook of British Birds"), indicates that this bird was not fully mature. I t s actjons on the ground were quick, very much like sanderling, a s i t fed on the mud among scattered wrybill and banded dotterel. I t appeared to f e d by quick dabs and was once seen to take a small crab which i t apparently swallowed after shaking off the legs. The bill was held horizontally when tho bird was standing or running. R.B.S. was reminded of the common sandpiper when i t tilted or bobbed the after part of its body and also when i t quivered i t s wings. I n flight it was quick and graceful, resembling Geoffroyls sand plover (Chmadrius Lesohlemiulti), When chased persistently in the air by a red-billed gull it evaded t h e attacks with ease. A variety of c d l s m s heard, all during flight, and this was found to be the best indication of the presence of the bird. R.B S. described a musical trill "meeta-weeta-weet," which corresponds well with the descriptin of Miss N. 'hilacdonald and H.R.McK., "meet weet" and "weet wt wt." C.A.F., W.P.M., D.M., and H.R.McK. heard mostly a three-note call after the style of wliimbrel or w a ~ d e r i n gtattler, but the third note w2s not so full, clear, sharp and musical. Sometimes a whistled ripple of about six notes run together was used. The species is said by Witherby t o be quiet, but D. A. Urquhart, on 1/1/52, using a telephoto lens, could only secure rather distant photographs, while on 6/1/52 Miss N. Macdonald, using a similar lens,, was unable to get within range, the bird being quite wild and shy. According to Witherby the Terek sandpiper breeds from Finland across to Siberia and winters from N.E. Africa across to India and down to the Malay Archipelago and Australia. I t is extremely rare in Australia so it is fortunate to have a n occurrence in New Zealand. KE8T RECOQDS AND BEACH PATROLIS.-Members are asked to complete these cards and forward them as soon & S possible to the organisers ol: these schemes. Nest records should be sent t o Mr. J. ~ i n g , Box 448, Masterton, and beach patrol cards to Mr. J. M. Cunningham. 212 BROWN BOOBY IN THE HAURAKI GULF. B y P. A. S. Stein, Auckland. When we were completing the ringing of t h e gannet this season on Horuhoru, north of Waihehe, on Maroh 8, 1952, me were astonished to find in a small group of twelve full-grown chicks, a large brown bird with a blue b e a k I n general outline i t was very like a gannet. The body was nearly a s big a s a gannet's, but the bird carried itself with t h e legs sloping further back, so t h a t the gannets in the group appeared t o bo about a n inch taller than i t was. The bird had obviously settled down temporarily with the others and allowed us to approach within thirty feet. We sketched and noted details for about ten minutes. T'he most stsrtling aspect was the shining bluish korn-colour of t h e besk, st the base of which a narrow white band stretched across from eye to eye. This might be bare skin, but i t protruded slightly above the eyes a s if i t were of feathers. Above this a rich brown cap stretched to the top of the neck. Under t h e beak was a lighter area whlch stretched back and upwards towards t h e cap. Right round the neck and extending well down on to the breast was a broad band of bright chestnut, in which the fezthers fluffed out so f a r that the bird seemed to have a ruff. The wings and back were a shining chocolate. The abdomen w a s a lighter brown anteriorly, and still lighter between the lags. IIere the brown was that delicate shade seen under a mushroom a f t e r the first pink tint has gcne. The legs were sturdier than those of a gannet, and had bright orange-yellow feet. The bird was identified s s a brovin booby (Sula leucogaster), and later our drawings and notes were compared with museum specimens by Mr. E. G. Turbott a t t h e Auc:lrlaad Museum. I t flew off a s a n adult gannet approached. Wheeling in behind the gannet, the booby followed, turning and swooping close behind the other bird. For twenty minutes they came'and went, c a c i ~time passing so close above our heads t h a t we could ,see t h a t t h e stranger had a feather missing from his right wing. The uirds mere within four feet of each other, so t h a t me could easily compare their wing-span. The gannet, with a wingspread of seventy inches was about four inches wider than t h e booby. Three interesting differences between t h e two species were noted. The under surface of the wings was a n ivoiy colour edged with chorolatc? The coloured border was very regular in width, about a n inch in front and three inches behind. This gave the remaining area the appearance of a pair of white wings spread out below s larger pair of bnown ones. The feet were not carried concealed in the feathers a s in the case of t h e gannet, but mere in sight, and so f a r apart t h a t they extended to the sides of t h e broade,st part of the tai!. Behind the feet, the tail narrowed, forming a wedge with a comparatively sharp point. The whole was much longer than the gannet 'S tail. When we returned t o Auckland and Mr. Turbott compared our notes with his specimens, it was evident t h a t the bird we saw was in the wholly (brown immature plumage. This is apparently the fourth brown booby recorded in New Zealznd. We note that, for the past four weeks, we have had a l n o s t continual northerly winds in this area. GIANT PETREL l%ECOVErvY.-A.giant petrel ringed a s a fledgling, still in down, at North Point, Signy Island, South Orkneys, by the Falkland Lsland Dependency's scientific bureau on February 11, 1951, was found dead on the beach a t Chaser Go~ge,Dargaville, on Smeptember 14, 1951, by Mr. Percy Wright, of Urquhart's Bay. I t s rinq was marked SBL No. 63,526. By the shortest route, this is about 6,500 miles from where the bird was ringed. According to t h e Scientific Bureau most of the giant petrel chicks leave their nests where this bird was ringed in R. Purser, Whangarei. early May.-D. L A NORTE ISLAND COLONY OF SPOTTED SHAGS.-In N.Z. Bird Notes, Vol. 2, p. 40, mentlon is made of a colony of spotted shags (Sticto carbo punctatus) a t the "south head of Kaawa Creek," some miles south of Port Waikato. The site of the colony is actually a t Girdwood's Point, a n impreuslvely rugged headlcnd lying between the Kaawa and Ohulrs streams and exposed to the full force of the westerly gales. Througli tho liindncss of Mr. K. M. Sorby, who has known the colony for many years, I was enabled on 19/10/51 to visit thls rather inaccessible stretch of coast. The main shaggery is on what is locally and aptly called Cylinder Rock-the "inaccessible basalt stack" of N.Z.B.N., II., 40, which rises to a height of about 150 feet and i s separated from the mainland cliffs by a narrow cleft. On t h e southern and south-eastern faces of this stack I counted respectively about 85 and 40 nests; and across the cleft on the mainland cliffs were &bout 40 more. On the top of Cyiinder Rock there is some wind-torn scrub in mhich a few black shags (P. caxbo) were sitting, though I was unable to see any nests. Seaward of Cylinder Rock is the Little Cylinder. There were no nests of spotted shags on this, but about 20 birds were resting on it. On the mainland cliffs a hundred yards or so to the south of the big colony, about 10 more pairs of spotted shags had their nests. O'ffshore there are two steep basalt pinnacles; but on neither of these did there appear to be any spotted shags breeding. About 40 shags mere resting on the inner pinnacle. A considerable gale was blowing and even a spotted shag might have found i t difficult to rest with comfort on the outer pinnacle. ' I n this colony there must be a t least 175 pairs of breeding birds, most of which had nests with eggs; but some were still building and one was seen flying with difficulty in the teeth of the wind carrying a large piere of seaweed. No nests were seen containing young. Most of the sixty birds mhich were resting on the Little Cylinder and inner pinnacle were young of the previous season. The only other known colony of spotted shags on the n e s t coast of the North Island is fifty miles to the north, a t Te EIenga. Spotted shags also visit Oaia, the "gannet rock," which is v:sible from Te Henga and well out from t h e southern end of Muriwai Beach, but it is not known if they breed there. -R. B. Sibson, Auckland. BIRD SOKG RECORDS WANTEiD.-Mr. No~bleRollin, of the Bird Research Statlon. Glanton,. Northumberland, asks for the co-operation of New Zealand b i d watchers in assisting to time the passage of t h e first dawn singing 01 birds as i L sweeps around the world with the dawn light. What is required is the exact time of the first call or song of one or more species in the morning and the exact time of the last call or song of one or more species in the evening. Particulars of locality, height above sea level, and weather conditions should be given. Records aro to be taken on April 13 and September 21, 1952.-W. J. Noble, editor "The Evening Star," Duncdin. GLOSSY I B I S I N WESTLAND.-Mr. Peter Lucas, of Hari Hari, South Westland, has forwarded a description, accompanied by a sketch, of a strange bird which appeared in September, 1951, on the property of Mrs. St. George. The identificntion of the bird as a glossy ibis (Plegaldis falcinellus) was confirmed by Mr. E. G. Turbott, of the Auckland Museum, after reading the description and seeing the sketch. The bird frequented swampy drains and fed by wriggling its bill into the soft earth, sometimes up to its eyes, and extracting worms, grubs, etc.E. L. Kehoe, Greymouth. NEW MEMBERS. Acres, Mrs. C. Laughton St., Taupo. Barker, H. F.,Box 25, Kaiapoi. Clouston. W.F.. 5 8 Louisa St.. Invcareill Coom Mrs. J. ' ~ Ore e Ore Mastertoll. Demdster A.G. 7 Wardla; St. Dunedin Evans, R: A., 25 Sullivan AV., bhch. Ferdinand, Dr. L., Copenhagen, Dmrk. H a r t A. J. l1 Benares S t Khandallah ~ i m m e l ,M;S. R. I., 1 5 4 burn Rd., Lower H u t t . McDowall. R, 32 Worcester St. P.Nth. Parlane. S. G., Dist. School, Mamaku. Priest D., District School. Bulls. Smith: C., 44 Worksop Rd., Masterton. Sorrell, C. C., 2 Priestley Tee., Napier Todd Miss L.R. Solway Call. Maston. ~ardurto!, H. if., Oruru ~ c h b o l , K a ~ t a ~ R.D. a. Williams, Miss D.N., Dept. of Maori Affairs, Qisborne. INDEX TO VOLUME 4. (The Editor is indebted to Miss Noelle A f a c d o n a l d for the of this index.) compilation * Denotes illustration. Warbler and Abraham, H. C. -Grey Olevedon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 E p e i r ~ dSpider, 6 9 ; Song Thrush Eat. Classified Notes 121, 175 ing Green Bug 69. Cockatoo,.white . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Acanthisitta chloiis. See Rifleman Columba livla. See Pigeon, Rock. Acrodotheres tristis. See Myna. Colymbus cristatus. See Grebe. Crested Albatross-Light-mantled Sooty, 140 ; Correspondence . . . . . . . . 14, 33, 59 Corvus frugilegus. See Rook. Royal 15" 140, 1 7 8 ; Wandering, 40, Crake, Marsh . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 48". 140. '178. ,, Spotless 44, 182 Alauda arvensis. See Skylark. Alectoris chukor. See Chukor. Creeper, Brown . . 7 55 148 150, 193 Anarhynchus frontalis. See Wrybill. Crocethia alba. See '~an)derli&. AnasCrockett, David E.-Notes from Christgibberifrons. See Teal. Grey. church Estuary, 137. poicilorhyncha. See Duck. Grey. Crow, Blue-wattled . . 57, 70*, 140, 194 rhynchots. See Sl~oveller. Cuckoo Bronze . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Annual Meeting, 1950, President's Ad,, Long-tailed, 29, 52, 147, 150, 190 dress,, 6, 9 ; 1951, 61, 94. Oriental . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2 A n t h o r n ~ smelanura. See Bell-bird. ,, Shining, 14, 29, 33, 52, 147, 164, Anthus novaeseelandiae. See Pipit. 150, 190. Apteryx australis. See Kiwi, Brown. Cuculus optatus. See Cuckoo, Oriental. haasti. See Kiwi. Large Spotted Cunningham, J. M.-11, 6 0 ; Position of ~ r a ' i acinerea. See Heron, Grey. Myna In 1950, 6 6 ; Ringing Birds in Ardmore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 h e w Zealand, 7 7 : Review, 8 4 ; XingArmaria interpres. See Turnstone. ing Operation, 1 4 0 ; Review, 200. Athene noctua. See, Owl, Little. Curlew, Bristle-thighed . . . . . . . 1 8 Aythya novaeseelandlae. See Teal, Black Long-billed . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 Banks Peninsula . . . . . . . . . . 143 Cianoramphus auriceps. See Parakeet,. y ellow-£routed. Barker, H.-Herons in Canterbury, 197. Barrier, Little . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 ,, novaeseelandiae. See Parakeet, redBasley, P. H.-Godwits Avoiding Harfronted. Cygnus atratus. See Swan, Black. rier, 6 8 ; Gannet with Eel, 69. Bayne, Miss AI.-Visit to M ~ l f o r dSound ,, olor. See Swan, White. and Lake Manapouri, 68. Dabchick . . . . . . . . . . . . 39, 176 Beaton, Margaret-Bird Notes from Can- Daytion capensis. See ,Pigeon Cape. terbury, i 6 3 . Davenvort. J. C.-Distr~butmn of Weka. Bellbird-7. 30. 33. 56. 149. 150. 194. 26.-Frigate Bird a t Tauranga, 35. Leaving Bird Song ' . . . . . 1 . . . ' . T 1 ' . 2 1 4 avids son, W. H.-Redpolls 199. Nest Bittern . . . . . . . . 32, 42, 180 ~ a w s o ; , E. W.-Bird Notes from Lictle Blackbird-3i, 33, 140, 149, 150, 196. Booby, Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 Barrler, 27: Renew, 8 2 : B ~ r dhoteh Botaurus poiciloptilus. See Bittern from stewart Island, 14'6. Bowdleria punctata. See Fern-bird. Dear, E.-ltooks m Feildlng District, 69 de Lisle, E. W.-Breeding Persistence Branta canadensis. See Goose, Canadian. in. Banded Dotterel, 25. Brathwaite D. H.-Notes on Variable ~ y s t e r c a t c h e r s .22. Demlgretta sacra. See Heron, Reef. Diomedea e~omouhora. See Albatross, Broiga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 U , . . . . . , Bunting, Cirl . . . . . . . . . . 58, 195 LLVJU" Calidrls acuminata. See Sandpiper, Sibexulans. See Albat'ross, Wandering. Donations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 erian pectoral. Dotterel, Banded-7*, 25, 32, 45, 62, Canutus. See Knot. 125 147 183 melanotus. See Sandviver. American - - . ,, New ~'ealan8-24, 46, 126, 14Ci, pectoral. 141, 147, 184. Calleas wilsoni-See Kokako or G o w , Dove, lace-necked . . . . . . . . . . 188 blue-wattled. Duck-Blue ........ 43, 180 in Monowai Campbell, B. W.-Birds Grey, 14, 42, 140, 143: 146, 180, D.strict, 68. 210. Canterbury . . . . . . 163, 197 Paradise . . . . . . 42, 140, 180 Carduel16 cabaret; See Red poll. ,, cardnelis. See Goldfinch. Dumbleton, L. J.-Bird Ticks, 21. Dunediu . . . . . . .. 37 Casnlerodius albus. See Heron, whice. Dunedin Naturalists' Field d1;b' 149 Catharacta skna lonnbergii. See Skua, Ecological Society Formed . . . . 169 Southern, or Sea Hawk. Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Chaffinch 31 33 57 140 150 .l95 207 Chalcites) baialis: s e e ~ A c k o d ,bronze. Emberiza cirlus. See Bunting, Cirl. ,, lucidus. See Cuckoo shining. ,, c~trinella. See Yellow-hammer. Chapman, H. J.-Grey Dkck Carrying Endowment Members . . . . . . . . 169 Young in Bill, 143. Charadrlus bicinctus. See Dot'terel, Erolia testacea. See Sandpiper, Curlew. Endynamis taitensis. See Cuckoo Longbanded. tailed. ,, leschenaulti. See Plover, Geof froy's sand. Eudyptes pachyrhyncus. See Penguin, Checklist-10. drooping crested. Chlidonias albistriata. See Tern, blackEudyptula albosignata. See Penguin, fronted. White-flippered. Chloris chloris. See Greenfinch. ,, minor. See Pengnin Little 131ue. Christchurch Est'uarv . . . . . . . . 1.17 -. Falco novaeseelandiae. dee Hawk, 311sh. Chnkar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Falla, R. A.-Nestmg Season of NotorCircus approximans. See Harrier. nis, 97. Clark, J. D.-Random Notes on Kiwi, Fantail-7, 30, 32, 55, 140, 150, 192 211. Bernbird . . . . . . . . 32, 54, 148, 191 ........ .......... . ... ' ;. - :. Film Evening and Address . . . . 36 Film Evening a t Dominion Museum 85 Finscbia novaeseelandlae. See Creeper, Brown. F i r t h of Thames . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 F l e m ~ n g , C. A.-Asiatic Whimbrel a t Petone, 2 ; Banded Dotterel Inquiry (with R. H. D. Stidolph), 6 2 ; Notornls in February 1950 101. Fregata,ariil. ~ e ~ rl i g a i eBird, Lesser. minor. See Frigate Bird, Greater. E'rkate Bird, Greater 35 Lesser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1 ~ r f n g i l l acoelebs. See Chaffinch. Gannet-12, 26" 28, 37, 41, 69, 140, 141, 172, 179. Gallirallns anstralis. See Weka. S.I. greyi. See Weka, N.I. ~ a h o d i anereis. Seo Petrel, grey-backed: Storm. Godwit, Bar-tailed-a*, 17, 46, 68, 128, 136 140, 184. ~ u d s o d i a n. . . . . . . . . . . . 208 ~ d f d f i n c h . . 33 57, 149, 150, 1 9 5 207 Partial ~ l b i A o. . . . . . . . . . ' 1 3 dbose, Canada . . . . . . . . . . 146, 1 8 1 Grebe, Crested . . . . . . . . . . . 39, 176 Little. See Dabchick. &eenfinch . . . . 33 57 140 149 1 0 5 Gull, d lack-backed-5, 2b, 50,' 140,' 141, 147 l 5 0 187 210. ,, ~1ack:billkd-do, 121, 140, 141, 187 ,, Red-b~lled-29, 32, 50, 100, 136, 137, 140, 141, 147, 150, 172, ........ ' 1R 7 Gurr ~.-mbod of Chick of Notornis hobhstetteri, 11.4. Age Groups a i d Sex Ratio of Californian Quail 144. Some Food of the North Is. Kiwi, 209. Guy, G. -Notes on Hesthcote-Avon Estuary, 173. Gymnorhina hypoleuca. See Magpie, white-backed. ,, tibicen. See Magpie, black-hacked. Haematopus finschi. See Oyster-catcher. 8.1.. pied. ,, reischeki. See Oyster-catcher. N.I. unicolor. See Oyster-catcher. Black. ~ a l y c o nsanctus. See Kinefisher. Halobaena caernlea. SPP P e t , r ~ l .Blne. Hamilton, W. M.-Mahuki Gannetry. 26 Harrier-14, 28, 31, 32, 43, 140, 142, 146, 181. Hauraki Gulf . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 Hawk, Bush . . . . . . . . 31, 43, 1 8 1 Heathcote-Avon Estuary . . . . . . 1 7 3 Hedee:Sparrow-31, 33, 58, 140, 149, 150. 196. Heron-Grey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 R . ~ e f. . . . . . . . . . . . 42. 180 32, 41, 163, 173. 179 White White-faced-32, 41, 173, 179, .. .. Heteroscelus incanus brevipes. . 7 07 A" See T a t tler, Grey-tailed. i. jncanus. See Tattler, Wandering. Himantopus himantopus. See Stilt, Pied or White-headed. Hirundasus caudacutus. See Swift'. S>ine-tailed. Howes, Mrs. J.-Irruption of Black Swans. 33. Hvdroprome casw'a. See Tern. Casnn. Hypotaen'dia philippensis. See Rail. Banded. Ibis. Glossy . . . . . . 42, 157, 173, 214 - Whimbrel. 2 ; Banded Ill~?strations Dotterel, 8 ; Royal Albatross. 1 5 ; Gannet, 2 6 ; Kinefisher, 26; Blrckfronted Tern. 48: Wnnderinrr Albztross. 4 8 . White-headed Stilt. 4 8 ; Kokako &I Neat. 7 6 : Sons Thrush. 7 6 ; Starling. 76: Adult' Tnkahe. W : 'Unper Tnnnel Rnrn Valley. 3 0 6 ; A d d t Tnknhe, 1 0 6 ; Takahe on Neet, 1 0 6 ; Takahe, Nest and Eggs, 1 0 6 ; ,, Moss Pulled up for Insects, Droppings 1 0 6 . Takahe Valley in Winter 1 0 6 ; ' ~ o t o x k i sTracks in Snow, 106; Takahe Valley 1 0 6 . Point Burn Volley 1 0 6 ~ a k A h evblley 1 2 0 ; Wings of ' ~ a l i f c h i a n Quail, 14'4; Robin on Nest 184. ~ o h n s o h ,M. E.-Bird Ticks, 2 1 ; Visit to Three Kings, 172. Kaka . . . . . . . . 29, 51, 147, 150, 18.8 52, 189 Kakapo Kakatoe galenta. See Cockatoo, White. Karaka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Kea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51, 189 Kehoe, E. L.-Glossy Ibis in Westland, 214. King, J.-Nest Records dcheme, 157. Kingfisher-26", 29, 32, 53, 148, 150, 1 6 3 191. Kiwi,'Brown. 27, 38, 146,. 149. 175, 209, 211. Spotted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Knieht. W. - Pieeon Eatine Willow Lzaies, 84. Knor . . . . . . . . . . . . 46, 126, 1 8 4 Kokako . . . . . . . . 57 70" 140 1 9 4 La Roche, S: A.-Notes bn ~ b g p i e i 14. L a m s bulleri. See Gull, lack-bille'd. ,, dominicanus. See Gull, Black-bckd. ,, novaehollandiae. See Gull. Red-bild. Leucocarbo carunculatus. See Shag, Marlborough. ,, chalconotus. See Shag, Stewart Is. Library List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 5 Lice, Bird-Request for Bird-Lice from N.Z. Terns, 134. Limosa haemastica. See, Godwit, Hud. lapponica. See Godwit. B a r - t a ~ l e d . ~ i b ~ b ynovaehollandiae. x See Plover, Spur.winged. Lophortyx californica. See Quail, Californian. McCann, C.-Breeding of _Grey Duck, .............. .. 21 (1 M c ~ & z i e H. R.-Records of Hudsonian curlew,' 18,; Nesting of N.Z. Dotterel 2 4 B r e e d ~ n g of Kokako, 7 0 ; ( w i t i J. ' M. Cimniligham) Occurrence of Brolga, 1 9 8 ; Terek Sandpiper a t Miranda 212. ~ a c d o d a l d ,Noelle-Birds in Fig Tree, 4 8 ; Sparrows Tearing Paper, 1 0 0 ; Mynas Oust Sparrows, 1 3 7 ; Feeding of Silver-eyq Chicks, 1 4 5 ; Night Smging of Sliinmg Cuckoo, 164. Macronectes giganteus. See Petrel. Gnt. Magpie. Black-backed . . . . . . 59, 197 ,, White-backed 31, 59, 140, 197. Food . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 1 4 Mlhuki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Manawatu District . . . . . . . . . . 1 7 3 Manukau Harbour . . . . . . . . . . 33 Mead, W. P.-North Island Thrush. 3 Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . 201, 210 Megadyptes antipodes. See Penguin, yellow-eyed. ~ e g a l o r n i srubicundus. See Brolpa. Membership List 36, 164, 200, 214 Miranda . . . . . ' . . . . . . . . . . . 212 Miro australis. See Robin. Mohona albicilla. See Whitehead. ., ochrocephala. See Yellowhead. 40, 1 7 8 Mollymawk-Black-browed ,, Ruller's . . . . . . . . . . 149, 1 7 8 ,, Ohat%am Islands . . . . . . . . . . 40 ,, Grey-headed . . . . . . . . . . 40, l 7 9 ,, tSpp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 White-capped . . . . . . . . 149, 1 7 8 L. B.-Plant Material from ~ o o r e Miss , G ~ n n e t s 'Nests. 12. Morepork-29, 32, 53, 148, 150, 1 9 0 Woris senator. See Gannet.. Myna . . . . . . . . . 58, 66, 137, 1 9 7 . 26, 157 Nest. Records Investigation Nestor .meridionalis. See Kaka. ,. notabilis. See Ken. Ninox novaeseelandiae. See Morepork. .. ... :. . ............ North Auckland 7 Not.omystm cmcta. See Stitch Bird. Notophoyx novaehollandiae. See Heron. -White-faced. Notornls hochstetteri. See Notornis. Notornis-Nesting Season, 9 7 ; I n Feb. ruary 1950 1 0 1 ' Winter Observations 'in 1 9 i 9 . l d 7 : Food of Chick. 1 1 4 selected Bibliography 115 : sketch Map of Upper ~ u n n L l~ u r d and Point Burn Valley, 1 1 7 ; Protection in Notornis. l i 8 : I n March. (1951), 202. Numenius madagascariensie. See Curlew long-billed. ,, phaeopus husonicus. See Whimbrel. ,, p. vanegatus. See Whmbrl, As~atic. tahitiensis. See Curlew. bristle-thieh. obituary i39 134 Ornithological Photographs Owl, Australian Barn 32 Little . . . . . . . . . . . . 53: 1 9 1 Oysterc?L;her, Black, 32, 45, 147, 150, .. .. .... .. ..........'...... .... ...... .LOG . . . . . . . 45,133, 1 8 3 Pied 32 S.I. Pied 44 133: 182 Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 pa'dhyptila belcheri. See Prion, Slender-billed. ,, deso!ata. See P ~ i o n ,Dove. ,, salvini. See Prion. Salvln's. ,, turtur. See Prion, Fairy. ,, vittata. See Prion, Broad-billed. Parakeet Red-fronted 29 147 150 189 ~eilow-fronted,'29,' 52, '147, '189. pa';engarenga Harbour . . . . 122, 169 Parkin, C. N. and Mrs.-Pied Tit Nesting Records, 1 6 2 ; N.I. Robin, Nesting Record, 174. Passer domesticus. See Sparrow. Pavo c r ~ s t a t u s . See Peafowl. Peafowl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Pelegodroma marina. See Petrel, whitefaced Storm. ~ e l e c a n o i d e snr.natrix. See Petrel, Divg. Penguin-Drooping-Crested 38. 1'76 ,, Little Blue, 27, 39, 136, 145, 149, 164, 178. ,, White-flippered 176 Yeslow-eyed . . . . . . . . 39, 176 Petone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . . . . . . . . . . 27, 1 7 8 Petrel-Black N.I., Pied ............ ...... " .. .. ........ breasted. ,, toitoi. See Tit. Pied. Pha.acrocorax carbo. See Shag. Black. melanolencus. See Shae. ... White throated. ,, sulcirostris. See Shag, Little Black. ,, varius. See Shag, Pied. Phasianus colchicua. See Pheasant. Pheasant . . . . . . . . . . 43, 141, 1 8 1 Phoabetria pa'pebrata. See Albatross, Light-mantled Sooty. Picnic, Members Hold . . . . . . . . 69 Pigeon, Cape . . . . . . . . 39, 149, 176 ,, Nntive Wood, 7, 29, 32, 33, 51, 84, 147, 150, 188. ,, Rock . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 1 1 8 8 Pipit . . . . . . . . . . 32, 53, 148, 1 9 1 Pisobia ruficollis. See Stint, Red-nkd. Platalea regia. See Spoonbill, Royal. Platycerus eximjus. See Roselln. PlegaAis falcinellus. See Ibis, Glossy. .. Plover-Geoffroy's Sand, 46, 184, 212 Lesser Liolden 125, 1 8 3 Spur-winged . 46, 1 8 4 Pluvialis domin~ca. s e e ' j?lover, Lewei Golden. Pluviorhgnchus obscurus. See Dotterel n.b. Poliocep&dus rufopectus. See Dabchick. Porphyrio poliocephalus. See Pukeko. Porzana pusilla. See Crake, Marsh. ,, tabuensis. See Crake. Spotless. Potter S. D.-Harrier Attacking Grey ~ u c k .14. 39, 177 ~rion-'Broad-billed ..l71 Dove Fairy . . . . . . 40, 136, 141, 177 Salvm's 39, 177 SPP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 Procellaria parkinsoni. See Petrel, Rlnrk - .....- . Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae. See Tui Prunella modulnris. See Hedgesparrow. Paeudogerygone igata. See IYnrbler. Grev. ~ t e r o d r o m acookf. See Petrel. Cook's. ,, inexpectata. Sce Petrel. Mottled. ,, lessoni. See Petrel, White-headed. macroptera. See Petrel Grey-faced. P ' h n u s assimilis. See ~ ' w A t e r ,Allied. ,, bulleri. See Shearwater Buller's. ,, carneipes. See S'water, Flesh-footed. ,, gavia. See Shearwater, Fluttering. ,, griseus. See Shearwater. Sooty. ,, tenuirostris. See S'v-ater short-tnil. Pukeko . . . . . . . . 32, 44, 141, 182 Quail-Brown . . . . . . . . 29, 44, 182 Californian 44, 141. 182 Rail, Banded . . . . . . . . . . . . 44. 182 Bird Notes, Re:_dman, V. M.-Westport . .... .. ...... .............. .......... ...... JL. Redpoll, 57, 63, 150, 164, 195, 199, 207 Retn.ruke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Reviews.--Trannin~ Methods. 1 5 : Rovnl ... Albatross. l 5 ; -some South Pscific Sea-bird Logs 3 4 ; O ~ e n i n pof Milkbonles by Birds, 34: Introdnred Mammals of N Z.. 59: R i d s (Balln). 60: Oiseaux Tome XV.. 8 2 : N.Z. Flvcatchers (Fleming), '83; How to , Choose and Use Field Glasses (Nicholson) 8 4 Some Thoughts on Growth of ~ t a r l l n ~8 4, ; Moas of N.Z. and Australia, 1 1 9 ; Taxonomic Notes on Australian Butcher Birds. 1 9 9 : 164. Robin-N. Island. 6, 30, 54, 174, 192. Stewart Island . . . . . . . . . . 148 Ibis in New Robinson, J. F.-Glossy Zealand, 157. Rook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59, GB Rosella, Eastern . . . . . . 7, 52, 190 Ruakaka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 Sanderling . . . . . . . . . . . r . . . 127 Sandpiper-American Pectoral, 46. 184 Curlew . . . . . . . . . 46, 184 46,' '127. 184 Siberian Pectoral Terek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 Sansom, Olga-Spur-Winged Plover In New Zealand, 138. Savell, A. A.-Magpie Carrying off Unfledged Sparrow, 1 3 ; Bird Observations in Tararuas, 31. a t Pyramid ValScarlett. R. J.-Birds l,=" - * , 6- 8- . Secker H. L.-Habits of Lesser Redpoll' 63. Flipper Pattern of Little B I U ~ ~ e h ~ u iinn cook Strait. 1 4 5 : Suggested Dispersal Movement by Sacred Kingfisher, 1 6 3 ; Habits of Lesser Redpoll, 164. .. Sedgwick E. H. -Congregating ~ r o n e e Cuckoo, ' 48. . . . . . . . . 32, 41, Shag-Black Blue . . . . . . . . . . . . 146, Rronze . . . . 41, 148, Little ...... ~ l a c l r " .. . . . . . . 41. Little pied . . . . . . . . . . . King . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marlborough . . . . . . . . . . Pied . . . . . . . . 28, 41, 146, Spotted . . . . . . . . 41, 179, Stewart Island . . . . . . 146, White-throated. 41,. 146,. 149, . . . . . . 40, ater-allied' llnrs . . . . . . . . 40. 172. .. : -~ ~ short-tallea Sooty . . . ............ ... 40, 146, 149, of 149 149 149 179 41 198 137 149 214 149 179 178 177 LI I 111 Teal-Black . . . . . . . . . . . 43. 180 Grey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T e Aroha 48*, 49, 147, Tern-Black-frosted Casnian 29.. 49. . 141.. Crested Fairy . . . . . . . . . . 49, 186, White-fronted, 29, 50, 136, .............. ...... .............. 142. 147. 150. 186. hal lass arc he,' bulleri. Buller's. s e e Mollymawk, ,, cauta. See ~ ' m a w k , 'White-capped ,, chrysostoma. See M'mawk, Grey-hd. ,, eremita. See M'mawk, Chatham Is. ,, melanophrys. See M'mawk, Black- browed. Thdassius b e r g i i See Tern, Crestea. Three Kings, West King . . . . 21, 172 Thrush North Island . . . . . . . . . . 3 S&, 3, 31, 33, 58, 69, 77". 141, 149, 150, 195. Tit-Pied ( N . I . ) . . 30, 54, 162, 1 9 2 Yellow-breasted (S.I), 7, 32, 54, sland Colony of Spotted Shags, 214. Silver-eye-7, 8, 55, 62, 141, 145, 148. 150, 193. Skua-Arctic . . . . . . . . . . 51, 187 Pomarine . . . . . . . . . 51 Southern . . . . 1 5 , 51, 1 4 i ; Skylark . . . . . . . . . . 31. 33. 1 Y 6 Sparrow House-Drinking Nectar, 1 3 ; 31. 5 i . 100. 141. 149, 150, 1.95. - - Special -. Spoonbill, Royal . . . . . . . . 3-73, l 8 0 Starlipg. 31,-33,- 58, 59, 77", 141, 1 9 6 : Hula .tmiea, U. Booby in HailStein, P . A. S.-Brown raki Gulf. 213. Steptopelia chinensis. See Dove, laceneck. Stercorarius parasiticus. See Skun. Arctic. ,, pomarinas. See Skna, Pomarine. Sterna nereis. See Tern. Fairy. ., striata. See Tern. White-fronted. Stictocarbo punctatne. See Shag, Spotd. steadi. See Shan. Blue. Eating Stidolph, Mrs. N. F.-Silver-eye Large Moth. 8. Stidolph, R. H. ?.-A Huia-billed Starling, 1 1 i Partially Albino Goldfinch. 1 3 . Renews, 59, 84, ZOO; Bnnded ~ o j t e r e l Inquiry ( w i t h C. A. Flemin_.). -. . 6 2 ; Godwit Inquiry, 135. . . . . . . . . . . 49, 186 Stilt-Black White-headed o r Pied, 26, 47, 48". - - 148. 150. 192. Trqill, ~ . ~ . L ~ r e k of d iWeka, n ~ 139. TUI . . 30 32 55 1 4 8 150, 1 9 3 Turbott E. ~ . L ~ r k i d e ' n t i' ds d r e s s , 6 ; ~ d r a h c eo f , Rosell? in North Auckland 7 . F r ~ g a t eB ~ r da t Whangarei, 35 ke4iew 83 . Winter Observations on ' ~ o t o r n i ii n ' 1949, 107 ; Selected Bibliography on Notornis, 1 1 5 ; XoteS nn Waders, 122. 169. - .-Parene-arenea . Turdus e r i & a r u k See Thrush, Song. ,, merula. See Blackbird. Turnagra t a n a g r a See Thrush, N.I. Turnstone . . . . . . . . . . 45. 133, 1 8 3 Tyto a l b a See Owl, Aust. Barn. Urquhart, D. A. & R. B. Sibson-Wrybilled Plover a t Karaka, 170. . Waikanae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 2 2 Wanganui River . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Warbler, Grey-?, 30, 32, 54, 69, 141, ~ .. -- 148,- 150,, 192. W a t t A H.-Red-billed Gulls Taking crickits ( P ) i n Plight, 1 0 0 ; z e d billed Gulls Snapping a t Flies, 131. Watters, W. A.-Birds a t Waimumu Bush. Sout'hland, 7. Weka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 ~ & t h18land . . . . . . . . . 26, l 8 2 South Island . . . . . . . . 44, 150 Stewart Island . . . . . . 139, 146 Westport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Whangarei . . . . . . . . 35 Whimbrel-Asiatic . 2W','24,' 4 i , 185 Hudsonian . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 1 8 . 119, 133, 137, 185. . . . . 46. 127. 184 Stint-Red-necked Stitchbird . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Stokes, 4 . F.-Stilts Nesting a t Ardmore, 26, 119. Strigops habroptilus. See Kakapo. Sturnns valgaris. See Starling. Sula leucoeaster. See Boobv. Brown. Mites from ~uthorland: J. H.-Bird Brothers Islands. 136. Swan-Black . . . . 32, 33, 43, 150. l 8 1 Whit'e . . . . . . . . . . . . 43, 1 8 1 Swift, Spine-tailed . . . . . . . . . . l 7 3 Synoicus ypsilophorus. See Quail, Brn. Tadorna variegata. See Duck. Parollise. . . . . . . . . 31 Tararuas . . . . ~ a t t l e r - ~ r e y - t a i l e d . . . . . . . . 130 Uranderinc . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 T a u r a n g a . . .-. . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Taylor, M. &I.-Wood Pigeons Ealing Shoots and Leaves, 33. &to TYilliams, G. R.-Further Notes on the Chukar, 1 5 4 ; Notornis in March (1951), 202. Wilson R. A.-Shining Cuckoo, 1 5 ; ~ o t e ' s on Heathcote-Avon Estbary, 1'72v . A . Wodzicki, K.-Plant Material from Gannets' Nests, 12. . . . . . . . . . . 148, 150 Wren-Bush Rock . . . . . . . . . . 53, 207 Wrybill . . . . . . 46, 126, 170, 184, 212 Xenicus gilviventris. See Wren, Rock. ,, longipes. See Wren. Bush. Xenus cinereus. See Sandpiper, Terek. Yellowhammer, 31, 33, 57, 149, 195, 207 Yellowhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Zosterops lateralis. See Silver-eye. of Publication-l:t Apri, 1962. The Masterton Printing Co., Ltd., Lincoln Road, Mastnrtsn. 218