IN TOUCH WITH NATURE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20256, 15 November 1927, Page 2

IN TOUCH WITH NATURE

THE KINGFISHER. By J. Drummond, F.L.S., F.Z.S. With its coat of many colours, the kingfisher, as far as apparel is concerned, ranks as the gayest bird in New Zealand. It has much to commend it in other respects. It is a member of “ the mournful race,” as Dryden named kingfishers generally, but officially it is associated with tranquillity and smooth seas, bearing the title Halcyon, given to its order in ancient times, when it was believed that the seven days before the winter solstice and the seven days after were the halcyon days, the son then remaining calm, in order that kingfishers might build their nests on the unruffled surface of the water. Although a work-a-day world has no time for pretty legends, New Zealand’s kingfisher still is Halcyon vagans, or Halcyon sanctus, according to a revised nomenclature; and its building operations are so skilful and ingenious that hours spent in watching them are far from being a chronicle of wasted time. Mrs G. Taylor, Woodlands road, Glen Eden, near Auckland city, was interested in a pair of kingfishers that made their home in a large kauri stump about three yards from the door of her house. They made a beautiful deep tunnel, so long that an observer had to look in for several minutes before the sitting bird was distinguished. Kingfishers are fierce birds. They fight valiantly to protect their homes. Usually, they tolerate no intrusions. They resent trespassers in the vicinity. A female kingfisher has met a person 200 or 300 yards from her young, dashed at the intruder, returned to the place where the young were perched, and repeated the attack. A kingfisher has attacked a dog and driven it away. As for other birds, its bayonet-like bill, thrust with deadly aim and deadly precision, is sufficient to terrorise thorn. The pair of kingfishers with which Mrs Taylor became acquainted showed a different disposition to her. They became so tame that they did not even fly away when she handled their eggs. They manifested their confidence by accepting grubs and worms. A remarkable incident is described by Mrs Taylor to show the perseverance, industry, and intelligence of her friends. Perseverance is possessed by New Zealand’s single species of kingfisher to a very high degree, unequalled, perhaps, in the whole class of birds., Its perseverance should be proverbial. It far outshines the Bruce’s famous spider. An early New Zealand naturalist knew a pair of kingfishers that tried to build their home in the back of a plastered sod chimney at an empty cottage. They completed the tunnel. Soon after they had begun to make the egg chamber at the tunnel end they abandoned the site, probably because the wall of the chimney did not give sufficient depth for the safety of the young. They began a new home, between the door and the window, in the front of the cottage. This also was abandoned. The southern wall of the cottage was the next site. From a convenient rail they darted to the wall, digging out the material with their bills, used as picks. It was hard work, and it was all in vain. Again die site was abandoned. There were three more failures; Thirtyeight days after the beginning of the first nest one was completed according to specifications on the self-same wall of the chimney as had been selected originally. It was the seventh attempt. Five eggs were laid, and the family was increased by five young kingfishers. The building of a kingfisher’s home may take several weeks. Male and female, sharing the '■ .irk, labour is equally hard When a pair were timed at their work it was found that if the female worked harder one day the male made up for it next day. In some cases at least the site during building operations is never unguarded. One of the joint owners keeps watch while the other works or seeks food. An ■ alarm note is promptly answered by the absent bird. Two builders were kept under observation in Canterbury. While the female was away the male stopped work and watched immediately below the mouth of the tunnel. He began work again when his mate returned, in about 20 minutes. From their perches they darted up to the tunnel, always judging the distance correctly. The female once darted up, but flew back, apparently in timidity, and sought the male, who bent down and seemed to caress her with his hill. Some homes are merly caves in a stump. Some have tunnels about 16in long. The floor of the tunnel, usually rising from the entrance, leads to a chamber, in which the eggs are laid and the young are cradled. As it is slightly below the tunnel floor, neither the eggs nor the young can roll out. It must be confessed that the chamber is not very sanitary. The kingfisher may have music in its soul, but all its notes are harsh. It is a creature of habit, returning to the same nesting place or perch again and again. It does not live by fish alone, but takes bees, beetles, and- hosts of other insects, also mice, chickens, young birds, and small grown-up birds, A little white-eye often falls a victim to a thrust from a kingfisher’s weapon. An insect which, in the absence of specimens, escapes identification, is mentioned by Mr W. Wilson, of Hamilton. He states that bushmen call it the mos-quito-hawk, and that Ngapuhi Maoris call it matua-waeroa, which means old-man mosquito, or the father mosquito. He de scribes it as something like a mosquito in appearance, but about 10 times larger It seems to be nocturnal. Mr Wilson believes that ho has seen it catch mosquitoes. He often has seen it leaving his tent at daybreak. It runs along the ndgo-polc and disappears through the hole in the top of the tent. When he was reading an article on mosquitoes in this column a mosquito-hawk came in the window of Iris house, hovered around the electric light, dashed against his paper and went off before he realised how important it was to secure a specimen. Mr Elsdon Best, who knows more about the Maoris, tho-r legends, and their language than anybody else does, cannot identify the insect from its Maori name, and entomologists cannot assist until a specimen is sent. Whsen Mr Wilson first saw a pool on the Orahiri Stream, near Otorohanga, two black swans were sporting on its water. Ho learnt that they came there to breed every season, taking advantage of a quiet, inaccessible little place where they wore never disturbed. He used to ride up ana down the range, which then was the track in general use, and for several years ho could always see the swans trracofully swim ming on the big pool in the nesting season. They could often be heard passing overhead after dusk, giving their trumpet call. A sportsman who discovered them came bursting with prido into the village one afternoon, with two black swans slung from his belt, one hanging on each aide of him No swan has been seen at the poo) since. Another pair settled at the junction of the Manga-o-rongo Stream and the Waipa River at Kahotea, two miles north of Otorohanga Another sportsman, a few seasons later, proudly walked into the township with a black swan hung over his shoulder. That broke up another happy swan homo. Mr Wilson was at Kahotoa a fow months ago, and mot an old Maori friend, Hamanu, who has lived there for many years. He asked Humana if swans ever came there to breed now. The reply was that there was no swans because there were too many Europeans. A native treo highly commended by Mr J. G. Pfaff, Big River, Waiwhcno, near Abaura, Westland, is tne kohukohe. Ho states tliat, whether it is in bloom or not, it will grace any park or garden, la Mr Pfaff’s district, it grows near the uppci roaches of Big River, and is not plentiful. It is one of those plants that find all parts of the North Island and northern Carts of the South Island, a suitable abode, ut it dislikes the colder climate further south. Flowers of the purest whiteness are its greatest beauty, but its spreading branches and its large, glossy leaves are no moan attractions; and its fruit, a hard capsule, which opens gradually and shows the brilliant orange or red covering of the seeds, makes it conspicuous wherever it grows For several years, Mrs E. B. Harington, Hatea street, VVhangaroi, during (ho warm weather in January and February, lias watched sparrows taking stick-insects. >r animated straws. Her house is on P>brow of a hill facing Bobbie Park. m. there are tea-trees and bush a few yards away. Sitting on the balcony, members of the family see sparrows fly on to i.i-o lawn with largo stick-insects. They bang and bash the Insect? to death. Tne logs arc eaten first, and then the insects’ bodies are squeezed. The supply of food is so plentiful that the sparrows are kept busy flying to and from the ten-tree, and the lawn becomes strewn with the insects’ 'car casscs.

Fishing in Manukatt Ma rhour ori Sept&mhei' 19 Hr G. F. Stuart, Avondale South, and Mr ,T. Gordon, Blockhouse Bay, caught a shark sft long, with 41 young, llin long in it Previously they never found more than 21 voting in n shark. Mr Stuart asks if anybody has found more than <ti voting in a shark.