NATURE NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 74, 24 September 1927, Page 17

NATURE NOTES

NEW ZEALAND BIRDS BULLER'S SHEARWATER; ~~~ , - ■ v (By E. H. D. Stidolph, K.A.O.TT.) ' Over forty years ago—in 1884—the late Sir Walter Buller picked up a specimen of a shearwater on Waikanae Beach, near Wellington. It was a hitherto unrecorded speciw, and was named in honour of its finder, Puffiinus bulleri. In colour tae upper surface of this petrel is dark grey, and theunder surface white. The outer half of the inner webs of the primaries are white, and the tail long and cuneate. JJuring a period of thirty-nine years since the time of its discovery onlysome half-dozen specimens of Buller 'a shearwater were recorded in New Zealand seas, until- its breeding place on Poor Knights Island, off the North Auckland coast, was found. • Sixteen specimens, however, were taken by collectors off Point Pinos,. on the coast of Lower California. Mr. B. H. Beck, who secured fifteen of the American specimens, states that'he saw these Aew Zealand shearwaters in vast con courses of other species of shearwaters, sometimes numbering 20,000. The first bird obtained off the American coast was secured by Mr. L.. M. Loomis in 1900. Mr. W. M. Praser, of Whangarei, apparently knew of the occurrenca on the Poor Knights Islands of this petrel, for some time prior to the discoverv _bein& placed ou record by Mr. B. A. Falla. of Auckland, who visited the group in December of 1923. Previously Mr. Falla had found remains of this petrel washed ashore on the east and west coasts of the Auckland district. ■ .

To quote from Mr. FaUa's paper, the two main islands of the Poor Knights lie close together. Both are volcanic m origin, and present to the sea on aU sides bold precipitous, faces, with here and there a less vertical slope supporting dense vegetation. Everywhere the covering, whether of low forest, flax, thick rushes, or scrub, is extraordinarily dense. Severral smaller islets complete this part of the group, while three miles further south lie the inaccessible pinnacles of the Poor Knights Rocks, one of them conspicuous with a white cap of nesting gannets. On the smaller and southernmost of the two main islands numbers of wild pies take heavy toll of young petrels, a large native snail, and of young plants. On the occasion of Mr. Falla's visit the wings and other parts of Buller's shearwater were recognised among the remains of birds which the pigs had rooted out of the burrows. Further inland the victims of the .pigs' depredations were dove petrels. During several hours' stay on this island no living petrels of any kind were found by Mr Falla, ana all the burrows examined were empty. On the larger island, however, free from all danger of pigs the birds were found nesting undisturbea. ihe first burrow examined was about twelve feet above high-water mark, in hard soil,, underneath a ledge of rock. It was only two feet in length, a^dth© bird could be seen sitting head inwards. Mr.-.Falla found that the majority of the burrows were in the cliffs.and sloping seaward faces, but a few- weer found half a mile inland under roots of, trees. The burrows were found to average three feet six inches in length. The nests were placed a short distance from the extreme end of the burrow, leaving beyond a chamber large enough to enable the bird to turn round. Most of the nests contained two or three handfula ot twigs, broken root fibres, and dead leaves. At the time of Mr. Falla'a visit each nest contained a single white

Referring to the habits of Buller's shearwater, Mr. Falla states- "They are easily distinguishable ■ both when on the wing and at rest, as their greater size separates them from the other white-breasted species found on this coast. The mode of flight varies with the weather. In a stiff breeze the birds appear to best advantage, sweeping.i n half-circles, and skimming the wavetops, resembling albatrosses rather than the smaller petrels. Under such conditxons they are usually to be seen ™* °\}« ottered flocks. In calm weather the wing strokes are powerful and measured, and the flight is usually close to the surface, although seldom in a straight line.- Occasionally a ] arge nock is met .with resting on the water, ™ f <-SSr- S- Myers and Sutherland report that, m company with flocks of the silver or mackerel gulls, they congregate over the broken water caused by the shoaling of the kahawai. When SS ? m flight *c dark, wedgeshaped tail contrasts conspicuously with ttie light grey upper coverts, and a similar contrast is noticeable between the dark brown of head and wings aad habits of the bird would not be complete without some reference to the Tuatara lizard. This ancient aristocrat whose lineal descent can be traced back to the Permian Era, is now, confined to a few islands off the New Zealand coast where it is frequently to be found m or near the burrows of nesting petrels. On the Poor' Knights it favours,-or possibly troubles, Buller >l shearwater with its company Tua taras were found at the entrance to Tn! J ,£ th{? burr°™, or just inside, and although no resentment was shown by the shearwaters at the intrusion of tnese creatures, the reptile seemed miwh,rghtO^PprOaclJ P a si«ing.bird, even when hard pressed to find a place of refuge. Ivo doubt, while the nestlings are very young the Tuatara .includes a few m his limited menu; in fact, onb which we captured on the Poor Knights regurgitated an undigested serap 5 of bird, the plumage of which looked like tnat ot a fledgling diving petrel. -However, the mortality among Pnffinus bulleri due to the Tuatara must be so small as to be negligible >•

eeption those infected have been either unvaceinated or else have been adults vaccinated only in infancy. The efficiency of vaccination and re-vaccina-tion has been proved once again- if these be efficient, no one need be a victim of smallpox. . Should New Zealand continue to neglect the protection afforded by efficient vaccination, such a state of affairs as is worrying the Motherland will assuredly arise here. Some people may say, "Why should we bother? There's rlflf?°£ -here!" This is th* attitude that brings the epidemic. These Jw Tl V? ctims- What Price will they pay? We insure our homes, against firensk; why not our bodies' against a disease which may be as cruel now as m olden^times? Shake off indifference and avoid the risk by vaccination. Anybody so desiring may be vaccinated, or have their children vaccinated, either by their own doctor, or free of charge at any public hospital. Be vaccinated