NATURE NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15482, 13 December 1913, Page 5 (Supplement)

NATURE NOTES.

Bt JAMES DBUIIMOND, F.L.S., F.Z.st Tire habits of penguins that live on Banks Peninsula are the subject of a note from Mr. T. Brocklehurst, of Woolston, near Christehurch. "During a comparatively long experience," ho writes, " I have never met anybody who stated that he had seen, penguins in attendance on the young at. the nest. The nests are never far away from tho water, but sometimes very unexpected sites are selected. When I visited Mr. A. Mcintosh's farm at Little Akaloa, Banks Peninsula, a year ago, fur instance, I was surprised to hear a cry or wail, not unlike that of an infant, coming, apparently, from the floor of a large shed. Mr. Mcintosh and I, with the use of tools, raised two planks, and discovered under the floor a rudo nest in a space about 8111 dew. The nest was composed of sticks, ind" was occupied by two downy, fluffy young penguins. The place was not mora than one hundred yards from the beach, and perhaps 3ft above high-water mark. Neither of* lis ever saw the parent buds in attendance. Evidently they visited their young only at night, and no vigilance was rewarded with a sight of them. Mr. J. Bennett's residence, close by, which is near the water's edge, has been a favourite place for penguins' nests for years, and sometimes the piping complaint of tho young birds, coming lrom under the floor, has been an actual annoyance."A resident of Wairuatenul, in the Aucfc> kind Province, who has spent most of his life in the backblocks 111 different parts of tho North Island,.believes that kiwis, in searching for their food, are guided by the sense of smell, not by sound. He lias found kiwis to bo easily tamed and kept in cages, and good subjects for close observation. His captures always cam© out to be fed just before sunset. His practice was to dig up some worms, placa them in the cage, and cover them ovaf with a shovel lull of earth or a grass sod When a kiwi came out for its meal it looked around and picked up anything it might find on the surface. After that, it began to thrust its bill into the earth. It might make half a dozen attempts before it had any luck, but it did not seem to have any difficulty in seizing the worm, which it drew out whole. Tho correspondent does not supportthe theory that worms come to the surface when tie

ground is disturbed, as he has observed that they always retreat into the ground. In his district, which is in the Ilokianga. County, and is about 140 miles North of Auckland City, kiwis at present are very plentiful, and he sees a good deal of mem. He has never found a nest that contained more than two eggs, and in even- case, judging by the condition of the eggs, considerable time has elapsed between the laying of the first egg and the second one. According to Mr. E. B. Clarke of Waimate North, kiwis are plentiful, also ,in some parts of the Bay of Islands district, especially on the hills at the back of Paihia, near Russell. A gentleman who lives about three miles from Paihia told Mr. Clarke that holes made in the ground by the birds' bills may be seen in open fern country close to bush in all directions, which is clear evidence that the birds ara present in fairly large numbers at least.

In the first week in October Mr. L. T. Jones wrote from Kai Iwi, inland from Wanganui, that birds were becoming very active in the forests there, most of the songsters putting their musical apparatus into good order. " The bell-birds," ha says, "perhaps are the most plentiful of the native birds in this district, and they may be heard morning, noon, and night. Their four-noted, monotonous song is piped in a good choir-like chorus. Tuis, which are still fairly well represented in these parts, are breaking into song again, bub at present with soma uncertainty. The native crow is seen here occasionally, bub not nearly as frequently as it was a few years' ago. Its magnificent song at the break of day is seldom heard now. I have not heard the rich strains this spring, but the season, doubtless, is somewhat early yet to yield that pleasure. This songster seems to prefer dense forest to tha semi-open spaces, and only those who live, in forest-covered country are favoured with, the strains of its • song. The " beautifiy native parrakeet' is another 'species that is becoming rare here. It is now quite a notable event to see a pair 'of -these . handsome chatterers. I place the blame for their. diminished numbers on the wild : cat as much as on anything. ' The parrakeets' habits of building and' perching make them an easy prey to the cat." Of tom-tits, wood robins, white-eyes,' and other birds of the samo small size there is no end. 'The kaka is still holding its own, in spite of the fact that the forest areas rapidly are being limited, and that many members of this species, in violation of our game laws, find their, way into tho pots of bush road contractors. So-called "sports' are another menace to the kaka. They kill the birds not only for the bag but also merely for the sake, of killing. Pigeons have been greatly reduced in numbers. There are places where, a few years ago, they were seen in dozens, but now, in a morning's stroll through the. forest _ and the edges of clearings, it is unusual to see more than half a dozen," •' 4 <r ; Dealing with other birds; at Kai Iwi, Mr. Jones ' says :—" I read with interest a paragraph in your column describing attacks .by sparrow-hawks on ; native pigeons. I have often seen pigeons hottly pursued' by' those swift, warlike little hawks. The pace made by. both hawk and pigeon in a chase of that kind is extraordinary, but I do not think that the conflict ever is greatly prolonged, "'as-the pigeon, apparently, flies with an agitated and reckless flight, while the hawk follows steadily and determinedly in its wake, and nearly always. brings its victim to earth. . I have seen kakas in pursuit of ; the sparrow-hawk. I think that they , would have a good chance' of capturing i their enemy, even when they spend much : of their energy screeching at him. Small birds, also, may be seen sometimes -. pursuing the sparrow-hawk, but they.keep well above him, and seem more inclined to frighten him by concerted action into other quarters tlian to try to do him actual bodily harm. It is very interesting to 1 watch a gathering of tuts tormenting am ; owl in. the forest in broad daylight. They ; make,the attack very systematically, turn- ' ing about and swooping down" over tho 1 head of the bewildered and .frightened npc- '■ turnal one, as it to pierce- his blinking ' eyes with their sharp bills. Ido not think that they actually strike the owl, who can ' do nothing more than blink and flit clumily from tree to tree in trying to ; escape from his tormentors. It would be : difficult to imagine a greater din in bird- ; land than is made by tuis during a con--1 certed attack on an owl." Mr. Clarke i concludes his letter with a note which i shows that kiwis may be found still. at > Kai Iwi, "-The shrill note and answering! i call of the kiwi," he says, " may be heard ' here almost any night, but, as the clearings i advance, this bird, which offers too many • attractions to sport-loving dogs, falls back i to the denser forests."