COMMUNITY CLUB

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 158, 20 June 1935, Page 10

COMMUNITY CLUB

Garden-Circle Meeting

BIRDS OF THE ANTIPODES Tho garden circle meeting of the Hastings Women’s Community Club, held yesterday afternoon at the clubrooms, attracted a large number el members who had been eagerly waiting for several weeks for the opportunity of hearing a talk given by Mr 11. Guthrie-Smith, of Tutira, one of New Zealand’s leading authorities on native birds. Unfortunately, through illhealth, Mr Guthrie-Smith was unable to be present at the club yesterday, and in order that the members should not be disappointed he wrote a most delightful paper which ho had asked Miss Jerome Spencer to read. The subject was a visit to Antipodes Island, and as Alias Spencer had been for the journey at the same time as Mr Guthrie-Smith she was able to

answer any questions which the members asked.

The Antipodes Island lies about cOO miles distant from Stewart Island, and its largest land area is four miles by two miles. It is one of a large semicircle of islands made up of five groups, the Snares, Auckland Island, Campbell Island, Antipodes and Bounties. The journey, which was made in the Tutanekai, was a most unuSual experience, those fortunate enough to visit the islands finding nature almost untouched.

The Antipodes Island is the home of the big-crested penguins on the lower

stone and boulder spaces, while in the higher areas the tufted or red-eyed penguins make their home. The rookery shelters tens of thousands of birds, and no boulder, rock, ledge or shelf is left unoccupied. The birds are not a scrap frightened of people and have, in fact, to be pushed out of the way.

Further inland are many other birds, ground larks, parakeets, and pipits, and on the higher tracts of yellow tussock land are pukekoe. The parakeets especially are very friendly birds and will come very close to visitors. The moors of the Antipodes are the breeding grounds of the albatross, and Miss Spencer read a most interesting description of these birds and told about watching the courtship of one pair.

At the conclusion of the article Mr Guthrie-Smith had expressed the very greatest regret that much of his time bad been wasted in cities when he might have been looking at these wonderful natural sights. Mrs W. Mackenzie, the leader of the circle, expressed her very sincere thanks to Mr Guthrie-Smith for his delightful article and to Miss Spencer for so kindly reading it. The members were reminded of the literary-circle meeting next Wednesday afternoon, for which a most delightful programme has been arranged. The subject is to be modern literature versus Victorian literature, and very great trouble has been taken by the leader of tho circle to prepare a very fine programme.

Afternoon tea was enjoyed before the members departed. Those present were: Mesdamea W. Mackenzie (circle leader), H. LovellSmith, G. C. Glenny, D. W. Hursthouse W. J. White, M. R. G. Matheson, i). V. Simpson, 0. 0. Moller, H. Holderness, C. Gardner, J. Harris, Hedley Harvey, F. L. Bone, E. M. Marshall, Fred MacKenzie, E. Y. Comrie, J. Wright, Fitzroy, B. Shadbolt, D. Scannell, H. Grieve, GrantDalton, A. Lockie, D. J. Holden, A. Maclntyre, J. W. Bates, George Davies, .A. J. Foot, Rees-Davies, Leggatt; Misses Fitzroy, E. Pickett.