OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14357, 29 October 1908, Page 3

OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN.

I i'OR SENIORS AMD (Conducted by Magistm, lo nkoni all co-ji-municatioua must lie addrossed.) [Uagister will lie glad lo receive Xsliiro notes, marked papers containing cttucatio::al articles, diagrams, details of experiments, etc., oi scholastic inierest to tcaolicrs mid pupils. Correspondents mils;, use o.si.v one side of the paper, ami whether using a pen naiue ov not, must send both name ttnd AUWIBSS.J BIRDS' EGGS AND KGG-COLLF.CTIXG. Last week I promised extracts from Dr Fulton's article, with . ilhwtia:iic'i:s; I.nt ccwspomlenro, with lommenis, is Inking precedence over eke this week.' AX EXCHANGE BUREAU. Two or t.hrcc letters tli:.-. week bring this mat tor up again. .My l'oniiihaka correspondent scorns to think that the trap-door spider is a -rarity in his locality. *jn Dunedin it is not- fonr.il at a,II, though I havo heard that it wa; found i:i the early days. As far as 1 know it is not found much south of Palmraton. Now read the following paragraph; — Paris, August 12, 1908. Sir, —His Highness Prince Honuld Bonaparte, who is at present much interested in ferns, has charged me to complete his ptcridologic herbarium, which at present number.'? about 25,(XX) examples. Having been told that you take an interest in terns I have thought thai, it would \'erhaps be possible for you to help me by sending me all the ferns frcm your region of which you can dispose, taking liicni in your duplicates. It is, of course, understood that I Vould send you in exchange anytluiig- you care to ask for— dried plants, botanical v.orks seeds, etc.—Yours truly, ' (Signed) C. Belhatte, Ckmservateur de I'llerbicr do S. Attesae Ic Prince Ronald. Bomipart, 10 , Avenue d'Teirn, Paris. CORRE iL' 0 NIJ EX CK. .1 have a great deal I should Jika to give my .readers; hut my correspondents aro bcwinnig so numerous ami; write such nitGicstiiig letters that, in spitio of cut-ting sonic dawn, and s-impiv making a. flight reference to others, 1 have quite su/licient to more than fill my space. Ho lam giving my correspondents a .field dav. " ° Will " Itubina" send two envelope:; stamped and addtt&cd: and will "E. A." and ""Fanla-il" do the tame! We'll open our Exchange Bureau in a small way. 1 am sending " FantaiJ" cne of tire -New Zealand snail shells " I.if.lu" kindly sent ino. This trail, I think, "is almost, if not entirely, extinct. The letter quoted above has ecme all the way from Paris, but (it was addressed not to me, but lo Mr (1. M. Thomson, whose fame as a specialist has evidently travel-led far. Mr 'ihemson, howevw, has his time so olc-scly occupied thai he cannot enter into correspondent with tli-3 writer, so hands it ov-or to me for publication, in the hope that some rciutani who have good collections will send c-n names of specimens (hey can spare with a view of exchanging. To savo trouble and annoyance, liowevor, I suggest, that any one corresponding with 0. Matte, fortify himself with a letter from Mr Thomson or seme other well known scientist as n proof of his bona fid-?s. Dunedin, October 15. Dear " Magister,"—When out at the Upper Silverstream last week with a pariy we were visited by two tiny birds which were strangers to us. 1 wilt endeavour to give you a description of them, and perhaps you v.ill Da able to give them a name. In size they were Jilile iargor than a wren, and they bad short tails, eo short that- they hardly deserved the name of tail. Tlieir beaks were long and sharp, as though adapted for securing honey from flowers, 'i'jieir nolo was, merely <i- sharp unmusical twitter. The male bird iiad a bright green back and light yellow breast, wiiilo the female bird hart a mora sombre appearance. Like the native robin, they favoured us with a close serutijiy, bui they soon disappeared, and we saw no" nioro of them during the day. '.thanking you — Yours, etc., T.- S. IPosruNsox. Dear " Magis'er,"—The birds seen by your correspondent were most probably bush wrens or riflemen, so called because the sharp little beak, comes straight out fiom the head at the level of the eye, giving just the shape of the oM-tashionod peekei cap of the Volunteers of the early sixties. .Riflemen are still (airly comir.cn pretty far back in the bush and 1 scanning ili some parts, such as Maruia and Stewart island. Thev are distinguished from the green wren by the tarsi or legs being 1 snorter than those of the last-named) bird. I'hey are busy little birds, and have a tiny little piping cheep, which they emit at inter- ■' vals as they run np the tree trunks after < insects. This sounds like the creaking of a I tiny wheel. Hutlon and Drunnnond say of ; il:—Male: Above, green, wing feathers dark i brmvn.edged with green; below, white tinted 1 with yellow on the Banks. Tail (what there | is of it! black, with a yellowish white tip. j Female: Brownish white, streaked with dark ] brown above; below white. This little bird, , called by the Maoris Titipounamou literally | •" Little Greens'toao," |a very poetic awl , characteristic name, lias by science been named Acanthodositta chloris—that is to pay, ' the "green linet" or finch from- a Gicsk word " akaiitha, a tiiorn ct lliisite (perhaps they feed on litem). The rifleman makes a . little mossy and) feathered nest like a bag, with a. hole in the side, rounder than the f warbler's; but, unlike it, it builds it inside ■ broadleaf or birch or pine tree, 'the hole ! in-lo the tree (which is carefully selected, ■ound, growing, and not rotten) is a very tiny s we, and it would be difficult for a mouse ! io get into it. The- eggs are from five to / iaveii in number, -and arc very srnnil, shiny, 1 smooth, white things, extremely fragile, and ' f is very bard to blow them without break- '' ing Ihem.—l am, etc., v Ornithologist. <■< *'Kia Oro " had bettor communicate with '' dr Davey through the editor of the Wit- " less, and probably Mr Davoy will give hi;n omo advice upon his scheme. I bave eent ~ ho letter to the Witness editor. Dr Ben ham tells mo that the grubs in * ■he folds of the flax sent from the Wailali P School are (.lie grubs of the Helaphiliis. F ' toys might hunt for ihom-t.hcy are about ; in long,—ami examine their *" tele--enpie ° •jspiratoiy tail." In England it- is called i ho j-at-tailed grub. A Pomahaka correspondent sends rnc fi vhat I. thought was a trap-door spider but o make euro, I submitted it to Dr Ben- T lam, and lie confirms me, and fixes it as i\ liexathele pctriei. Try to find its nest, „ Hid when found examine the door. Break ( l .t off and put it, say, three or four inchcs r rom the nest, and look again in 24 hours k try another experiment: take it away iliogether. and eomparo the second dco'r - nade with tho first; tako it- a.wav and " flmpare the third made with the fir-t and he fceond. A hdy sends me a very appreciative note f rom which I take the following, containiii" t is it docs, a reference to the passion fiowor I md the native rat. In a dav or two I shall f lend to her young friend ("Fanlail") the 1 icKlrctses of two or ihroa of my corvcspon- 1 tents, so that, they may exrhange ideas:— | r ," Your page is a most de- i ugntuu one, ajid cannot fni) to be of im- 0 nietiso help in fostering a love of Nature as 1 well as developing observation anion* the E yoting people of the Dominion. 1 was "much I inlorcsled by tlio brief mention-of the Xcw I island passion (lower made by one of your 6 concsiwiidont-3 th-o other dav. .May I add | to his description of the fruit as an oval (i< I is roalty tiallooii-sbaped) berrv of a bri°hi. P scarlet colour, these additional details, fho | inside of the berry is of a beautiful puro K white satiny surface, and down the centre 0 runs a fleshy cord ou which are stmng-so to | speak—the seeds, soft, crimson, heart-shaped |l and making a fine contrast to the pure i insidj of the berry. A curious thing about l ! these passion fruits is the fondness of the r smalt native ml—the little dark kicie—for '• the inner reeds. In years gone by I have often disturbed them at their feast, ard ! found only the empty husks hangin»' from ? the stem. ° fc Last week I mentioned that Captain ( Doro of the Stewart Island sanctuary, re- i ported that the tui was becoming scarce. 1 and- that this was attributed to the ravages |i of tha cuckoo. "Ornithologist" tclis°uH » that. Dr Cockayne docs not. think it is get- f ting scarce, and this opinion- is strengthened | by- a charmingly written letter from f " Anoliorcss," Road " Ornithologist's" letter, which a-!so r<rfcrs to Australian I cuckoos:— F Dear " Magißter/'-I had the privilege last | week of a long conversation with Dr t Cockayne, who has just completed au im- [ portanx botanical survey of Stewart Island, f and ho told me that tiiis and most other « native birds are very common on lb; island. | As to the tui being exterminated by the | kcckccn, Ida not for a moment entertain the S idea. Tuis resisted the attacks of tl.-c cuekoos f for generations, and- are not going to bo wiped [ out by this thieving pajnrite at this time, of j day; besides, tho tui i& ocj of our most dar- [ ing figh-vers, and will cha:o a onckco till be j doubles back and escapcs, and would make I it hot far any bird, or irrj a either, who comes f at his brood. TUoy wou". twnble yon much I if there aro alc.ne, but- if the ,vow:<r ,UC ' hntcbed o;r,- h# mi it<r scotstS*. 'MV gfews

and beak are 110 joho, as Iwo I! know. It 1 1110 cuckoos in Australia, thcro are quite a number. 1 listV(! not time io go and' look them up in " Campbell's A'csts, and Hgg» of Australian Birds" in the Museum, lint from memory give Hie names of the pallid ciickm, the fantail cuckoo, Stie black (Uektio, three specie-i ol bronze cuekcus (including our oi:t>), iho channel bill cuckoo, and the koel (which is a first cousin io our long-tailed bird), and sevt*rnl roueih, I think. 1 cannot remember J tho scientific ikiidde save the kool's, v.-kich ] is I'-mlymtiiii.-. Jiu^linjd cnckocs mate - ' t is, 1 suppose, Iho .bronze, ami the "ciii'ko:i ] lmii:-elf' the long-tailed, | have not ye» had ; -iimf to into tbe culour-tcriting question. , The harrier can be seen sruring ov?r the | goll links or un the Jiincti.-n road any (ley. Ok;:!tiioi.(>gist. As I have said, " AnchoiT.-sV Jot lor is . einnmingly written, ju-t such a letter its can Ik> v.i-itlen by one forgetful nl tly lime . or everything but the subject in love willi. Anchoro-.-;» ' pavilion is one where love o( Nature helps on..' to laniyli lo i-elintss in a lonely place. | won/ler has " Anchoress " trained any yet to drop in for afternocu lea? The following' on the fern bird is from "Animals of .New Matul"Abovo, fulvous brown; forebea<l. rufous, with a black streak in the middle of each feather; a pale streak from the nostrils over tlio o.vo. Below, white spntt-ed with black; tinged with fulvous on the flank and abdomen, live black, fi frrqucnUs ferny l.ttids; lioiico ' its name. Very shy, "but'in spring tlio malo bird seems to lose a great deal of its j timUlity, and, requites cE the presence of 1 man, will mount to the top of a flax stick, climbing up with little run's like a moiicc or house-fly, his tail being bent, in towards the stern." Ory, peculiar monotonous note, Disappears as swamps arc draityx!. Dear " Jtjgis'or,"—This is jur,l a short chat on bird-life 4-t Pert William, Stewart Island. My husband and J are tho only residents hc.-e, and so tlio birds have a right royal time, and have .';aiued niucli confidence iii it?. About three years ago I had the gcod forti'.ii3 toupee the magnificent white heron. U ntayed on the bcjcli for a very short time, then flew awny in the direction of Mount Auglien. I have never seen it since. At present there is a blue heron here. It is v. slaty blue colour, and lias a slow flight. It is a lone bird, and has frequented Iho seashore for over 12 months. At first I was afraid it would l>c shot, but, strange 10 cay, it seems to know when thorc Is cisugor, for if there are any strangers here it dimppoivrs, and when they go his lordship comes back. It is interesting to observe him fishing. He will Eland quite stationary at the edge of the water, with his head tnrown back between his shoulders; then at once will dart out his long r.cck like a flush, and woo betide the unfortunate fish. On October lt> a native crow paid mo Jiis yearly visit. He never forgets. Last year tie brought his wife, and pulled many of my diin.hus blooms, but evidently it did not please her ladyship, for they disappeared tue next day. His plumage is a slaty b.ucgrey, with a beautiful bladt velvet band on his head, red wattles, and large bright pansy-liks eyes, and legs long and slender. Be soon became tired of my company, and ' interested himself with sonic tender'green Brass, which he seemed to enjoy very liuiok, 011 October Ifi tlio loud call-ncte of the Jongtailed cuckoo broke (he stillness of the , 1 >"'« nol heard it through "the My, it must have teen pssing ever.' The shining cuckoo, with its whistling son" and gay plumage, has not arrived here vet For I a .short time every summer a little bird j comes. T am not acquainted with the ' fern bird, and wonder if this is one It I is about .the size of a bell bird, and its p umago resembles iv " veka." It moves about in a mouselike manner amongst the undergrowth mid on Hie ground. Its call-note I is easi.y imitated, and I can call it right up to my feet. The litis and bell birds abound Here, and a.I the day long eno hears their 1 sweet, chiming note?; AVekas, knkns. wscdpigoon, tomtits, warblers, and wax-eyes arc so very plentiful, but the wcod-robin I have seen only twice. Next month the sesgulls start their family ! cares. A pair of re:lb:-!!s, cr oy&tcrcatchcrs come yearly to build and rear one chick I never see more than one with them. Kingfishers and shp.£3 are also busy. All biTtllifo at. Port William has a businesslike air just now—great flying here, there, and everywhere gatherings feathers, cobwebs, moss, twigs, etc.; great singing and prccnin° of plumage; great setting out post haste to attend to some urgent, business in another part of the forest, Regarding the marks 011 the flax, I have noliccd at i%ht a great many glowworms 011 flax-bushes. Would they j cause the marks?—! am, etc., Anchoress. j By bye, I have the following letter froni I'untail.'' and a .private note in I which stio tell-i me she is getting- some weta-s, ami will let me have 0110 or Iwo for "Tiio-pe Tnlhol.'' "Fanlail," 100, is trnslful enough to lend 1110 Hudson's "Hotlis and Jiutterfiie?." I'll return ii and " Living AuitimU" to thy Times ()fc on Saturday morning. All being well, I'll have my copy back then. Had 1 not been so »resoL'd for span? i should have t.cen (It'lighicd lo give some oxtracts from *' Living Animals,'' on that arch-scouudrcl Iho cuckoti. 1 may gel the loan of il when I can bo spared more space. The study of human nature in tlio shape of candidates— not rolwd in while, though, as they sboukl be—and of electors is the all-absorbing topic just now, and that naturally requires pages of space. Dear " M'jgisJer."—l. have spent, a forin:ght in the ccmitrv. ]l was glorious, everything such a fresh* tender green, and the gorse a blaze of colour. I spent hours in tile bush, and discovered a fantail's nc-.t in a tree with very light foliage—don't knew the name,—and built almost at the end of a slender bough. The interesting part was that the male was pied and the feftialc pure black. This I found by sitting near many 'limes and watching-. Tho bhsei; fantail was smaller and slender in make, and I saw her on the nest. Wiih a. small l»:y's help we made a long rope ladder. l-'oiir days tif -had rain, and then wo sallied out. Wuh great pains we reached the r.est, and found iiic birds hod flown. It was a disappointment. "We were anxious to see how many wers black and how munv j)ied young cues. 'J'here are a good many bell birds. I had two nests, but they were only half made, when we left. There were about three pairs of tomtits in the bush, veTy busy and f.j friendly. In the holds and on tho idougned ground tho goldfinches were numcrjUy. I counted 15 together once. We found a ground lark's nest just finished. Five lays after we went again and found they had gone over the field again, breaking up the the earth, and the nest was destroyed, but ive found one egg lying near. In a dry '.lay batik near the river there v.-oro quantities of s-iarlings building in tiny holes, atitl unite ungcta'.ablc. We saw two cats at different times patiently crouching in a rabbit hole in hope 3 of a starling lunch, but the. birds flew high usually.—l am, etc., Fantail.

*' Tui's" Idler is a delightful one. ion, iliough it. has b.-en •-.pvprcly cut downmorc'ii tin l pity—mainly became it was a private It-nor, and therefore not meant fur publication. Imagine a man Kiolly shooting about a hundred luis! It ;my po-ses-% will turn up page (P. <jf Xo. l!) J'jirliiiiiirnUr.v Debates lie will see liiat from Ohakune. on the Main Trunk lino, in Iho Xorlh Islaikl, 5000 native pigeons were sent- to Wellington. The Hon. I'. il'Nub. Mr Kll. .Mr .'lns. Allen. .Mr Steven.--, Mr Field, Mr .\h!<".ilni, :u:d oilier spoke ?IroiiLclv asjailiil .-ueli slaughter. Mv Stevens giving as one reii-'on for ilie jirnlcolioti of the pigeon thai it "ate nothing in ihe shape of imported fond, bill, routined itaeli to native berries, such as Ihe karaka, tawa, ti, k.ireao. karamii. kaliikitea. malai, miro. niaire, hoekn. mahoe, kaiwhiria, and ranmrama." Now. men who shoot luis. wood-pigeon?, or any other New Zealand hir<l not positively a pest to hewell, I iva'i going to fay, shot himself. Perhaps I'll have more to m.v about this riithkfs do.itriiction again, and give now ''TuiV letter, ami follow it with Mr Donovan's, which, as a friend who read it said, is "lip-Ion." Dear " Jfngister."—This afternoon, about 3,.')0 o'clock, I heard the well-known notes of our "tourist" bird, and saw the shining cuckoo. 1 was somewhat surprised, for his visit is a'mosl a month earlier than previous years. Jlis longrtailcd brother or cousin Sonerjlly makes his appearance pome three jr four weeks previous to the visit of the shining cuckno. I eeo 51) long-tailed cuckoos to every one of the shining variety in the rummer time. The; hush here is practically what extends back to the West Coast; in consequence, the >irds of the bush have still undisputed sway. From lnv window almost any morning just riow, as the kowhai is in full blooni, I can ;ee or hear dozens oi -luis and mockers sipping the sweet ncctar from the flowers, and it the same time outrivalling Melba in re;ard to song. Alter a frosty morning, when ;lie sun is beginning to shine, I have seen is many as 20 or 30 tuis on the wing " skylarking-' in mi<t-air. Then I have seen them ■ !akc a sudden dive at the rate of about a nils a minute—the noise of which could be icard a long way off—and laml gracefully in iome tree, where he would swell himself up is if he had had the assistance of a pncitnatic pump. The tui is'truly a noble bird, ind can be sajtl to be the Tommy Burns of ho bush, for he is a great fighter. An ad-o-ining station hereabouts last year, changed lands, and a new manager was appointed. )n paying us a visit lie said that he had had i great day's shooting in the old fruit garden, hp (roes being-all in full blooni. He calmly ;aid that he must have Imockcd over close ipon 100 tuis in the afternoon. I am .pleased :o see that the Government is being urged to ;st aside Stewart Island as a Ewiciutry for , >ur native flora and fauna. I know the island veil,- and I can say it is abounding with ilmost all our native birds. There is another pot which must not be forgotten, and that is ; >nr National Pari:, which contains somewhat i 'ver a million acres in extent. This is to be eft in its native state, and is a grand spot. , .Vith a swag on my back this year I " did " ] >art of the park. Whenever I took a spell ' he cheeky and iuquislve w-eka would bo sure o pay one a visit, shownw no fear whatever. ! \'hen the tent was erected he would come in Iflzens. Ho is also another Tommy Bums, ' or lie V'iH light with his shadow. For the 1 irst time for many years I came across I ioisy companies of ycllowhammers, making I he bush ring with their chatterings. In ,< his locality is also to be found the now rare j laddle-back. Moreporks were always heard : f nn evening, and are fairly .numerous here. ( know of the roosting-place of one of these t n'tds which is in the ccntre of an old-inau | abbage tree, and often when passing have one a,id had a peep at him in the daytime, By-thc-bye, two of the little grey owls recntly liberated in Otago have been seen bete , laving a " Donnybrook ' with some sparrows ; n a plantation. If these owls are so rough ' in sparrows, how will our fantails, tomtits, s nd smaller birds faro?) Whilst troutishing last season I startled a dotterel from iiit of her r.est. Her antics wore of the '■ isinl kind—fluttering away in front of me, is if suffering from a broken wing. Slid- I lenly I raw her drop alongside a stunted 1 vliilo _ tussock, and remained there until I i'M within it few yards of her. Judge of my 'J m-prisc to find that her stoppage bad been s .1 a- ground link's nest containing eggs. 2 .hi'ce days afterwards I was again fishing he same gionnd, when Mrs Dotterel again , ,-ent through the same identical performance. ' t was the cutest and mast cunning act ever i have heard of by one of the leathered , nba. ■ avi. i We hnvo struck several now eorrespon- 1 '■'its and also n now line—cats. Who can nswor "Freak'.)'' ipiery? . Q Lmnsdeii, October 20. Dear " Jlcgister,"—Con'd you or some of -, 'Cur correspondents kindly toll us if sueii ' . thing as a sandy-coloured female cat has s very been heard oi? We lisvo one at our 'lace, and think it a very rare occurrence.— ™> PnBAK. " Iloncer," lienmore, sends n moth for lontifieiition. I frrgot the p,en name, j nd (he gentleman to whom 1 .sent the i loth has been suddenly railed out of )wn, and in his hurry has forgotten to ro- ' -*i"n Iho note, so I have put. t'.io pen-, anic "lionrer." 'pecans: I remember he ceribed tho moth a.s a "honcer." In j private noli; to mo "F." says:--The moth under question i.s noi common I bunt Dunedin. For t-lie last thre: seasons I J avc seeurcd only one specimen each scaron, I nd all we got in looms of dwelling-houses in j j liferent parts of the town. A spcciicen from j lowo street, t-oken on 17th insl., is much I ncr and larger than the one from Bomnore. 'he insect makes its appear.-mco in the s-ja-much earlier than ■,January (vide IludAVlien correspondents forward specimens of I usccts it is a great pity that a tittle care I * not given to the packing of them. In I articular, niotlis and butterflies with (he j wst knocking about, become disfigured, and ! I onrequently uselcs:--. j Ihi.s is followed by full details of the ™ iot.li, and I r.hall oiulcavour to publish r e\"t week what lie has so kindiy put to- , et-hor. knowing thai thoy will be of use to « onng colloctors. ' ' r Xorlh Taieri, October 20, 1008. c Dear " Jlogistor,l noticed in your j< oluinns sonic- lcmarks on the V-shapsd olches in the (lax tihides. Some years ago, ."lien cutting flux (or seme purpose on tho arm, I noticed some freshly cut, and on liaking the b!a<lss several bright caterlilliw, over an inch long, dropped down, ettiug go a fine gosamer thread (like a pidar'sl. us tbev dropped. I do not ray tbey id the damage, but they were there—not (he f ime kind of caterpillar that i.s in farm lands, ut a shorter one. I have a little to do with ees, but have not noticed any signs of llax C bout their hives, so that it could not be or.ey bees. Tr.lking about bees, this winter hcie never passed a week without bees I ringing in pollen. There has also been an (Id bumble to be see.n most all the winter, his being a. well-sheltered locality there J 'ere 110 flood waters al>out. lie Opoho s letter. I would advise him bo cautious about scattering a .'eds about, as some of the plants which are v 11 right in gardens are a positive curse L .'lien allowed to grow wild, and I think if I wned bush or hilly country and caught him catt-ering seeds I am inclined to think he rauld receive some scattered shot, as there re enough pests already. Last night when . fc was getting dusk several birds pas-sed over, | ;oing in a S.W. direction. About 10 days go -another lot of the same birds passed ' iver. I do not know their name, but will lescri'ic litem. Tliey are a migratory bird, aid to go to Siberia during our winter, fliey are aquatic, and ore waders. Black ippcr part of body, and white breads, red cms. I liavo seen them many n, time on the vhag Hi ver at the tail end of the long peels. R . forget tho name at present. This is Ihe. 1 time 1 have noticed their ovej. K talking of tuis and fantails. Thoy arc good jj veather forecasters; fantails always coming ■ lown before cold sleety .veather and leaving ust l)afore the staim breaks, and tuis woro dways followed by rain in about 21 hours, are hardly ever seen about now. Sonic.mes a bell-bird gives us a call. Your ■oluinn is a very interesting and instructive >nc. and 1 always make it about the second >art I look *.it. If there is anything of any 1.-e to you, use it; but most of it seems to lie tile diiect opposite of most of the other . opinions. We do not, however, all see with 1 he same eyes. If. ' "I, think ''ll' refers to tho godwii. as hat is the bird going to Siberia and hack very year. f don't know whether tho F atorpillar hp refers to docs tho misc-hief or lot; ouo genileman thinks it is 11 blackish lug. The Winter season was a mild one, iiid_ tho blackbird and the (hnnsli were inging- all i.hrough il. " Opoho" had Mlt-ter call on 111 c before going Taiei-iwards, .o that I can give him "lI.V address. Dear " Magj.ster."—T read ' " Ornithologist's" letter with interest, c?)%ccially where lie remarks on mv note of last moivtii, more pspeciaily alwut the cuckco. I see he is not satisfied with the iinc all Ihe vear n round, but wants dates. Well, I may "ray J that- I paw these birds so ot.en that itwould I.IC impossible to give dates, lint one 1 will give, and that is June M or 23. 1<K)!. This dete is specially noted, because thai- S week I saw six or feven together. As I did not know what birds they were I made inquiries, and found they were the niekocs. ajid was told by the sin-.e party (nV.o the Maoris) lliat there were plenty of them about n the W-airarapa Ya'.ley all ihc'ye.ar round. I | m-en'iionod tile matter to Dr Fulton, and he I could not believe it until I described the * Isrd to him. While writing I may say that I nearly caught one hew 011 Smithy. August 39, it ■«;« hsnlly able to fly,: it

i, fceinc.!' io bp llinvm;?ii!y ralmuslod, nml - would fiuiinr about r.Ol: or -toft, uml then a l!it> tussock. I triod \v,y hard I to (".iji'li j|, bul \vi,s i;f,( Kjiiaii r-iion/ii. J y '° cc ;" ut yonr writer of " Nature Stiuii>s" v the arrival of ilie.-c birds aoied. licnw !) 1 nielli :on I his one. J have not seen Ihe t l»ir«l since. lie those 'and' snails J will lie ~ l>lcaspcl Io forward you by post a sample of s 'Uic Cape Maria crawler?, but ) have only "ot one pair from tho Threo Kings, ami I.Vy . Are too valuable In par! villi, as thofe i Isljikl.-; are iiiiinliaiiiird, and very yeldoni s there a 'li-aiu-o of jjettin" ashore there, f a* " Fantail " wishes mv full addict v:>u , "re qm!e ;iI liberty Io .'ot her have i'.." --,r ( any oilier rorrespondv-nl, Jjcl; ,lor.es , I' 1 '*! 1 ''lad; :>ha» commences nesting. •Ml, iliev started to build round our elilfs I , ,m > wed;s igo, and I really d:m't _j aiow how- ninny varieties there are here. | ml they f-eeni to me very numerous, and having crjvon up the egg-collecting mania, I uon i them, T lutve also seen a few , Pairs of the blue heron mentioned—in fact, , while stationed in (he ]10 r{h I had p,,j r . "f eK?=. bu! (lie great heat ripened them, I and one exploded with great force and .smell. a nd tile oilier was consigned over the cliff. No doubt- they were valuable to coHec'.ots.— 1 Lrcnf. "Light" ;fives tr.e liborlv to give his I name and address io "Fantail." I shall lie glad .'it any time to receive New Zealand snail shells from Three. Kings. l>ut rctojtnfeo that flio chances will be few and fill* between; but lam very much obliged to "Light" for th-o Capo Maria Van Dienion spooimons. The cuckoo question is interesting: perhaps Dr Fulton or "Ornithologist will have a word (o riv upon it. "Light" will probably be interested to read of the- heronry (white herons) on the Wc-sf Coast. have not yet done what I promised for "15. A.," but liovo to soon. 7E. A." will see I have incorporated a portion of her private nolo with the one for publication. Perhaps 'E. A." will exchange shells for something which ''Rubina" or "Fantail" .can supply.