OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN

Otago Witness, Issue 2915, 26 January 1910, Page 85

OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN

FOR SENIORS-AND JUNIORS. (Conducted by MAGIS'fJSR, to whom all communications -fflust be addressed.) This week I am' filling my columns with a- most interesting letter from " Mafcinihi," and;. \-*'ith a portion of a diary written sprite years ago by "Alpha." " Makinihi's " letter bristles with points, and I am much obliged to him for the time he has given us. The instalments of "Alpha's" diary aregiven to show how seemingly _ commonplace observations.; become in time valuable data for scientists, and I want mv more serious young folk—to follow -"'Alb-pa's" example. They have no idea what 'interesting reading these diaries in future years. NATURE NOTES. Bt "Makanihi." Dear " Magister,"~The second clutch of thrushes, blackbirds, and sparrows have left the nest. The greenfinches, chaffinches, and the older goldfinches are either sitting, or feeding their first brood. Numbers of goldfinches (the " greypates" of last season) are still at the mating stage. It is pitiable to see dozens of freshly-trapped" goldfinches huddled together in wire-fronted boxes and exposed l for sale. There seems to be no floor space or air space per bird, and no limit to the number that may be crammed into a cage. Further, there seems to be no close season allowed for these birds. I have frequently seen these birds for sale during the mating, season. It seems such a cruel waste of bird life. There is more chance of saving these handsome finches if trapped in autumn or winter. They should be placed in a low box-shaped, wire-fronted cage, the front of which should be shaded, and .they should ; be. fed., onscalded bread and. milk over -which some nia.v seed has been scattered, together with natural green food and seed. -All seeds given should be soaked overnight. The natural seeds arc soft, but bird-seeds are frequently kiln-dried, and form an unriatural food to a wild l tyrd. A diet such as the above will prevent constipation due to change of food. Although I,have often

hand-reared thrushes, blackbirds, and larks, stillit is less trouble to secure them in aiifcumn or winter by means of the bowtrap, limed twigs, or clapnets. Horse-hair snares, unless watched, are apt to strangle birds caught. If every reader would select a nest (if 'only a sparrow's), and keep a record of movements of parents and young, muok valuable information might be gained. Sparrows,'for instance, have been observed to fed th-eir young ones 36 times per hour. This, in a 14 hours day, means 3500 timea per week. How are we to stop the steady decrease of native birds in and around our city? As the bush on the surrounding hills is removed, the birds are either destroyed or driven back. Bush fires in summer destroy parent birds and young. Persons responsible for bush fires should be liable to a severe penalty. It is a matter for regret that our City Council has not paid more attention to planting our reserves and Belt with such native fruit and flowering shrubs and trees a* would form an attraction and a food supply for our native birds. The majority of trees that have been planted are foreigners. Why so ! certain suitable areas on the Belt could be set apart as sanctuary for birds. Further, to make these effective', it would be necessary to fix or wrap a smooth piece of tin round the stem of each tree at a distance above the leaping power of introduced vermin. These trees would require to be fenced! off in such a way as to effec- . tively discourage needless interference. Further, all trees within.a certain distance of these enclosures would need to be remove* to prevent weasels jumping from an outside tree to a branch of one inside and so raiding the ne6ls. These areas would soon become a breeding ground for both native and acclimatised birds. For most of our birds there is really no dose season. Their nests may h& taken at any time. I feel convinced' that by using any good insect food—numbers of which are on the Home market (why, even here you can.buy dried ants' eggs)—it would be quite possible to make cage birds of . the creeper, fantail, or warbler. Has anything been done in this direction? We wan't some patriotic citizens to present our city with a native birds' aviary on a suitable scale. Who will come- to a«s? ; st our native birds to make a last stand ? For some time I have neither seen nor heard much of the cuckoos. On three different occasions I have heard the bronze -cuckoo in the manuka near the butts. On the afternoon of November 12 one gave a regular ventriloquial entertainment. He was perched oh a burnt manuka, and he whistled his <: whee-you, whee-you " at first, loudly then gradually more softly as if dying away in the distance, and then gradually." louder, as if returning. During October and- November a bronze cuckoo frequented the: Belt in front of Mr John Roberts's residence.. On one occasion I saw; one at food near Nevada with either a caterpillar or worm in his beak. . I have not seen ■ or heard much of the big cuckoo. In the evenings I have occasionally heard this bird in the bush opposite Mr John Rpss's house in Newington. . ...Another, for about a week, could be heard of an evening in the trees sheltering Dr Watt's garden in Roslyn. I never heard him in the mornings. The sparrows' nests .were probably an attraction. This cuckoo is much more timid near the town than in the open country or even in the bush. I am deeply disappointed to hear that the egg discovered in nest at Leith Valley : - had not hatched out. I have, no doubt that there are many canary breeders who, like myself, would willingly find;& place in a canary's nest : for a cuckoo's egg and note developments. I have watched l four warblers' nests this season, but no stranger's egg" appeared. However, on Thursday morniinir last, when coming near the foot of the path from Nevada to the Drive, I heard a feeding call that I had not heard for some years. ■ It was the dominating cry of a young bronze cuckoo who, with wings expanded, beak open, body quivering, and incessant " chir-rr,' urged his foster parents to redoubled exertions in feeding him. These hard-worked birds were a pair of wax-eyes. I unfortunately disturbed art. interested group of curious thrushes, blackbirds, and other birds who had gathered to either wonder at or condole with the worried wax-eyes on the abnormal appetite of their unnatural offspring. This is the .first instance that I have known of the cuckoo victimising the wax-eye. Regarding canaries, a red canary may soon be an accomplished ..fact. A finch, which readily breeds with the canary, and whose hybrids abe fertile, has lately been- domiciled in the Zoological Gardens. It may interest your canary-breeding readers to know that at r this season the parent birds eagerly welcome a caterpillar or aphis-infested twig. The green fly or aphis is soon cleaned off and supplied to the young. A frequent complaint with breeders "is that the hen refuses io feed the young when hatched. This is due. I am convinced, rather to the want of what she considers suitable food than intentional neglect. The evening before I expect a brood to hatch out I place, in addition to usual es;g food, a dish containing ripe chickv.eed, groundsell, or seeding grass, or thistle-tops, and another containing soaked rape seed, in the cage. A friend tells me that he has used ordinary rice pudding in a case where a hen refused to feed the newly-hatched brood, and on looking at the young ones after a short interval he was delighted to see their crops full. By the way, how is it that some birds have a covering- of down at birth and others are quite bare? Some time ago a West Coaster told me that while the tuis, molds, pigeons, and kakas were rapidly decreasing, the ground birds—the kiwi and kakapo —-were holding their own in the Paparoa Ranges. He spoke in scathing terms of .the continuous wanton destruction of the gun fiend. Close seasons may be proclaimed, but who are to enforce fhe law in the out-of-the-way districts?' Witness the slaughter of pigeons on the extension of the Catlins railway line, both in and out of season. Unless each individual resident of this Dominion makes this "a personal matter our birds are doomed. A Native Bird Protection League would perhaps help to ventilate this question, and cause the dwellers in the back-blocks to leave our native birds unmolested. An appeal to their patriotism might change them from thoughtless destroyers to active protectors of our unique avifauna. This West Coaster informed me that stoats, weasels, and rats wore rapidly increasing. He' himself had seen weasels at tuis' nests on "pines 60ft from the ground. After having in past years stocked the West Coast Sounds with stoata and weasels, the Government now. proclaim*! that area a sanctuary for birds. Owing to the abundance of these vermin on

the mainland, Mr Henry bad great difficulty in Obtaining birds to stock -the sanctuary on Resolution Island. Now* in the roar for retrenchment, Resolution Island is abandoned to the skin-hunters, end the work of years is ruthlessly destroyed. In return the Government graciously grants 2,000,000 acres of stoat, weasel, and ratinfested country as a reserve for native birds! What were our institutes and scientic bodies doing to allow such a deed to pass unnoticed? The North Island has island sanctuaries—viz., Kapiti and Little Barrier. I am told that an unknowrt migratory bird frequents a pakahi or open space near Nobel's. This bird is said to

rrrive about the same time as tile cuckoos. Its note is frequently heard at night. On moonlight nights they fly about in small numbers. This bird is extremely local in its habitat, being unknown a few miles north or south of that locality. Has any reader heard of it, and, it so. will he kindly forward my information? As many of your readers doubtless read the account of the takahe, I will simply add that in the country between T© Anau and the Sounds Mr Grave and part? at night frequently heard the call of an unknown bird. They ascribed the cry bo the takahe. , ... " Quidnunc," whom I welcome to this column, remarks that he has never obeerved the wax-eye feeding on the fuchsia (another favourite with the wax-eye is the rata blossom). Perhaps the fuchsia blooms in his district, as in our own, are beperforated ;• consequently the nectar-loving birds are robbed by the bees. The fuchsias locally have been blooming since July, and only within the last week or so have I noted blooms that wore not mutilated, with the result that I see a few berries forming now. Has the non-fruiting led to a longer blooming season? A more plentiful supply of nectar-bearing flowers has made the bees less attentive to the fuchsia blossoms. The well-known love of the wax-eye for fat does not seem to affect it at all; yet animal food causes parrots to pluck out their feathers—th»y become confirmed feather-eaters. A neighbour of mine has a deplorably bald cockatoo which romoves every sprouting feather. This habit can be checked by spraying with quassia solution, or, better icill, by giving a change of scene, roomier quarters, and a semi-rotten log to play with and devour. The first hedgehog 1 feave any record of made its appearance near Bishopsoourt, Roslyn, in December, 1902. I hav© heard of one being unpacked with some machinery some years earlier, but I have no satisfactory proof of this. The' next time I came across one was in Cosy Dell, in November, 1907. Since then I have seen and heard of them in different places. During the past two years the squirrel seems to be slowly increasing. 1 have seen an odd one about the trees on Mr Sargood's property, Newington, and also on Mr Chapman's property. One recently appeared near the top of Nevada. One £unday afternoon a friend and I counted three. This was exceptional, the most seen on other occasions being one or two. Regarding West Coasters query as to the greenfinch's call. This cry is certainly that of the " greenie," although the chaffinch may have a similar note. Knowing the chaffinch's power of mimicry, I should •be inclined to attribute this call to his imitating the cry of the big cuckoo or gTeenfineh. In Germany this handsome finch is specially trained as-a songster, and a trained chaffinch fetches a big sum. Perhaps " West Coaster " would kindly observe local chaffinches and let me know if this cry is a general one among chaffinches. Recently I rsad the announcement that 24,000 egret plumes wore last season put on tbo London' market. The unspeakable brutality behind this statement is at once apparent when, one considers that, to wcure the full brilliancy of feather, these plumes are torn from the quivering flash of the living- birds in the breeding season. .Taua, an addition to slaughter of parents, i'.:e young are left to starve. How any gine person can derive pleasure or comfort 4>y becoming a walking bird cemetery is Lqyond my comprehension. The Aberdeen University has this year flirted an inquiry into migration of birds. The method l employed—i.e., by marking . I lags, has only been carried out one© before in Great Britain in the case of the woodcock Already considerable "success has crowned the labours of Dr 'Thienemann, of the Ornithological Station at Rossiter, on the Baltic, and Herr Mortensen, at Viborg, Denmark. Light aluminium rings, stamped and numbered, are attached to birds. These are ito be placed on birds in different parts of the country and full records of species, date, locality, and number are noted. It is hoped that anyone finding any such marked bird will forward ring and particulars to the University. These observations are to extend over a period of some years. At Home the common thrush is a migratory bird. Someone referred to " moa stones." Has any of you* readers noted that only the later generations of moas used quartz stones? Their. early predecessors were either not wise enough to choose hard yuartz pebbles, or, perhaps, could find none. They used ordinary grey stone pebbles. Hardcastle, in referring to this, draws attention to the presence of small pebbles found in the loess near Timaru. Because these are not found inland, he considers that these small gizzard stones are a record of the annu il migrations of small birds that probably ejected their gizzard stones before leaving. Ha further points to the presence in the dolerita at Dashing Rocks, of traces of gizzard stones of birds (probably migratory) belonging to a much earlier period. Have you noticed that, following tha olearia, our New Zealand flower Ourisia macrophylla has come into favour at Home? Plants of this genus are indigenous to the Andes of South America and our own land. It forms, like the fuchsia and kowhai. another botanical link with South America, iu&t as our kaka parrot forms a connecting bird link between the brilliant macaw of South America and the parrots of Africa. The seer of this plant reached London in 1906, and plants were on sale in England during the past summer. | " Quidnunc " wanted a description of the brown creeper. This is a somewhat slender bird, midway between the waxeye and the j sparrow in size. The Maori name is pipirihika. The head and back are light I with the sidss of the head grey and the under-surfaoe a fawn colour. The male and fornate are alike in plumage. This bird' is confined to the South Island. It is a bright, noisy fellow, with it 3 cry of '' t weedie-de - dse-eeh.''

In a Homo paper Mr Henry Scheeren, F.Z.S., M.8.0.U.. calls attention to the doings of. Mr Walter Good-fellow, in Nov; Guinea.. Mr Goodfellow returned to England in August, bringing with hsm two pairs of Meyer's sickle-billed bird of paradise and three pairs of Princess Stephanie's (these arc imported for the first tune). Of the famous Rudolphs tfrere are two pairs, Br.d the same of the Superb—of tfofiee two species females are imported for the first time, Mr Goodfellow himself bringing the first male Superb in 1908. In the collection are males of the Greater and Hunstein's birds of paradise, a pair of gardener '\ower birds, and a pair and a female of the

orange ores ted. In addition, Mr Scheeren enumerates a number of rare lories and lorikeets, togetler with 6ome honey-eaters not j yet identified. These birds are all safely housed in the aviaries of Mr E. J. of Hoddam Castle, Eoclefechart, iNbrth Britain. Mr Goodfellow is again en route for New Quinea : n search of rare species. Think of the difficulties Goodfellow had to face capturing alive, caging, inuring to cage life, feeding (a knotty problem), the difficulties of transit, and climatic change?. All these - he has triumphantly surmounted. May his present expedition be even more successful, if such be possible, than his previous ones'. How the outlook of the ornithologist has changed of recent years! In bygone days he was more of a taxidermist —he loved to gaze on his cases of stuffod birds. If he hoard of a new variety of a rare bird in his neighbourhood he pursued it, gun in hand, nor rested till he had added it to his mortuary list. Now the attitude is becoming changed; tha desire is more to watch and, if possible, make a pet of the living bird How depressing to enter a museum and see the ranks of the slain; Just imagine them alive in suitable quarters ! In the Scotsman recently Mr W. G. Burn Murdoch gives some experience with swalilows at sea. Last June a swallow oame aboard his whaler when 80 miles north-west of the Shetlands. It was at first mis-taken for a stormy petrel, because it seemed to rest on the water for a moment. Thi6 litle fellow came fluttering over the 6hip and dropped into one of the open hatohes. Next day it was pecking at the food on the mes® table, and eventually reached land. How about the ' many wind-buffeted migratory derelicts that fly on, on, over the waste of waters till, wing-weary, parched with thirst and hunger-racked, they sink beneath the j wave? I have been reading a charming j account of the " Monarch" butterfly, j written by Jennie Brooks, an American ■naturalist, who says: "If we marvel at I the oriole's flight, the strong wing-beat of ! the humming' bird that carries this gleaner | of honeysuckle sweets from Massachusetts j to Central America, what think we of ' the frail, gauzy-winged butterflies that | whirl from Canada to Florida in their I annual flight? i Mr Frank Finn, F.Z.S., recently referred to the need of insectivorous birds at St. j Helena. It has been .suggested that the * humming bird should be introduced; Mr i Ffinn advises the introduction hi the ! Pekin robin. St. Helena has but one j truly native bird, a species of plover. This | island, with its perfect climate and abso- ! lute freedom from birds of prey, would j form an ideal imperial sanctuary for rare birds. ! In some country districts the local ! authorities pay children at a highffir rate for birds' beads than for birds' eggs. This leads the childiren, in some eases, to leave the nests -till the nestlings are fledged beI fore removing the heads. I should prefer ! to see eggs collected in summer and heads i irr winter, after the use of poisoned grain. Makinihi.

NOTES FROM A NATURALIST'S DIARY.

j • Bt Alpha. August I.—-The robins 'have lately become more determinedly quarrelsome. ! When in the bueh I am often attended i by two of them, which every now and I then attack each other vigorously. August 6.—During' the last three days I , have board the rObin going through the | seriea of short whistles which compose his ' song. I suppose this denotes the approach of the breeding- season. ! August 12. —The robins are, I think, j already beginning to pair. I noticed a • pair to-day on vefry friendly terms. One, ' the darkest, once or twice offered a cater- ' pillar to the other, which was accepted i with a twitter o<f thanks. j August 15 and 25.—Observation of 12th j September 12.—1 think that the darkest i birds are the males. If it is so, they i are very attentive to their lighter mates. ! I frequently see them feeding their conI sorts. The robin will not take hard inI sects, such as beetle. I threw a beetle (a I speoiee of Oarabidae) to one one day. It | flew down and looked at it, but did not touch it. September 29.—A robin is often with me while gardening, and instead of eating his ' captures he fills his beak with them and then flies off to the bush, probably to convey them to his mate. I suppose the females are on the nest just now, as I never see a pair together. September 8, 1901. —Found rrest containing two newly-hatched young one®. My companion climbed up to it, the parent bird remaining on the nest till he almost , touched it, and then only flitting to a branch a foot or two away. The other i bird also appeared, and the pair continued i to flutter about quite close. On a worm j being offered to one of them in tho palm ■ of the hand, it—after a little hesitation' — i seized and swallowed it. I July 5, 1890.—Saw a kingfisher (Halcyon I vagans) on the rocks at the beach, j July 12. —Observation repeated. \ August 18. —During the spring and sumI mev the kingfisher gives utterance to a I sort of short whistle, repeated four or five ! times in quick succession. I heard one (the first I have heard this season) to-day. August 21. —Heard the kingfisher again to-day. September 17.—The kingfisher has also another note, loudier and longer than the one referred to above. j i September 23.—T0-day I heard the kingfisher uttering a cry somewhat res-ambling ' '" quar-r-a." August 18. —Heard a kingfisher to-day. April 20, 1892 (10 a.m.).—Heard one. July 29, 1895.—Snow on ground. One fk-w down and' picked uq a.larva of Prionus , reticularis within a couple of yards of my feet. Threw a larva towards one on a pest, snd it immediately flew down a«d secured it. On another occasion I found a very b'g lizard which seemed to bo in a half-torpid condition. Having placed it carefully on a log. I turned to get a box to put it in. Suddenly there was a noise behind me, and I turned round only to see a kingfisher | making off with my fire lizard. I haxl i noticed the bird perched en a tree about 100 yards away, and I believe that it must have seen the lizard from that distance. July 5, 1890.—The wax-eye _ (Zosterops coerulescens) will eat grain in winter, when .insects are scarce and hard to procure. They then frequent the farmyards and become very tame. I have caught them under my hat and taken them in my hand; when set free they did not oxhibit much alarm,

but began to feed again within a few feet of me.

June 7, 1892.—Saw a flock. September 18, 1894.—Saw two or three wax-ey>e6 pecking at an apple which was lying on the ground. September 28.—Observation repeated. May 5, 1896. —Beginning to visit gardens and hedgerows in flocks. March 7, 1909.—Found nest containing young birds in manuka shrub 10ft or lift from the ground. June, 1909.—Mocks about garden and yard. Feeding freely on scraps of bread and meat or cooked potato. The cat catches a great number of them, and it is probable that this cause, combined with severe weather and scanty food, results in but a small proportion of the members of the winter flecks surviving to the spring July, 1891. —A carpenter (a reliable informant) has told me that once a yeliowbreasted tit (Petrceca macrocephala), for some time vigorously attacked the reflection of itself in the windows of a ni&vr house. August 15, 1881.—Often see several tuis (Prosthemadura novse Zealandise) flying about- at a considerable elevation above tho treetops. Catching insects (TApulidse) or perhaps just engaged in aerial gambols. October 18, 1892.—Saw the tui sucking the flowers of the broadleaf and 1 fuchsia. January 28, 1893. —Often hear the tui singing when it is nearly dark. January 30.—The tuis appear to be very pugnacious about this time. They may often be seen chasing the smaller birds and making a kind of smacking sound. November 25, 1906.—Saw a tui hawking for insects, probably crane-flies. It flew near the ground, facing the wind, and doubled and twisted skilfully after its prey. Once or twice it alighted and peered among the herbage, apparently when an insect had escaped it by dropping into the shelter of the vegetation. 1 observed it for several minutes., during which time it often worked over the same ground. August 27, 1891. Harriers (Circus gouldii) are often seen soaring at a great height in fine weather. It is the popular belief that they are then engaged in hunting, but I am. inclined l to think that they are simply enjoying themselves. I have never seen them stoop from such a height, and while they are thus soaring they "give vent to their cry, which can be heard quite distinctly. If hunting, it would be to their advantage to keep as ' quiet as possible. ■ December 16, 1891.—T0-day I approached on horseback to within seven or eight yards of a hawk. Had I been on foot I should probably not have got nearer than 150 yards. May 26 1892.—1 often see hawks- about just at the break of day. January 13, 1895.-*-When walking up a gully to-day I noticed a hawk flying towards me. It followed me for .some distance up the gully, circling round above my head and giving utterance to a short whistle, repeated four or five times in quick succession. It was a light-coloured specimen. September 9, 1891.—Heard the love-call of the green linnet (B'ringilla chloris) today. It is a prolonged vibrating whistle, rather pleasing to the ear. January 17, 1892.—Found nest. It contained five eg?f;6, and was built of manuka twigs, and lined with hair, wool, and feathers. Both lining and foundation were rather roughly put together. About sft from the ground. January 28. Revisited nest. Found it empty, except for some fragments of eggshell and the remains of an embryo. Apparently robbed. Further examined nest, and found a considerable quantity of totara bark and rabbits' fur, toffether with a few blades of grass, a little moss, and a bit of string. November, 1891. Black-backed gull (Larus dominicanus). The following incident was related to me by a trustworthy eye-witness. It happened at a station homestead where a few gulls are always hanging about for the purpose of picking up any offal that may be lying about the sheep-yards. One day a turkey was feeding near the yards when a gull appeared and vigorously attacked the old bird. The turkey retreated, but was followed up by its enemy until it had' been driven some distance from its astonished brood. 'Then suddenly the cunning gull darted swiftly back, and, picking up a young turkey, flew with it to the top of an upright post, where it leisurely ate its unfortunate captive. June 28, 1892.—Saw a gull chasing a starling. - There could be- no mistake about it. It was a young gull, and followed the twisting, terrified starling for some distance.