ISLAND SANCTUARIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19740, 13 September 1927, Page 12

ISLAND SANCTUARIES.

PRESERVING NATIVE BIRDS.

HABITS OF THE TUATARA.

" The Government is doing excellent work in oreating island sanctuaries for our native bird life," said Mr. R. A. Falia in a lecture on 'lsland Sanctuaries of the Auckland Coast,' 1 given under the auspices of the Auckland Institute in the University College Hall last evening. There was a large attendance. Mr Falla's lecture was illustrated by lantern slides, by means of which he demonstrated the different types of bird life existing on the many islands from the East Cape as far north as Whangarei. The scenes of bird life on the Little Barrier were particularly interesting. Some remarkable slides were shown of sea-birds and tuatara lizards living in the same burrow In one where a photograph had been secured the female bird had become somewhat restive, and instead of venting her annoyance on the photographer had made a dive at the tuatara that shared her abode and sho6k him strongly by the ear. The lizard endured this for about a minute. Then, suddenly, ho jerked round his head and seized the bird's bill in a vice-like grip. The tuatara was generally a most quiet creature, said Mr. Falla, and he and the bird on which he imposed his company generally lived quite peacefully together. It required some outside interest to make thorn fall..from their state of mutual toleration.

The tuatara was also most curious, if one sound was repeated for any length of tiflie he would thrust his head up from his btfrrow and remain there for minutes at a time listening. Mr. Falla showed one slide where a tuatara had his head poised in the air, his lower jaw dropped and an expression of rapt interest on his face The noisß that had drawn it forth from slumber was the singing of a popular song* by a member of Mr. Falla's party, who was not the possessor of a concert voice. The drop of the lizard's under-jaw gave him the appearance of registering mirth, and the singer of the party gained ths reputation of being the only man to make a tnatara laugh.