THE NATURALIST.

Otago Witness, Issue 3102, 27 August 1913, Page 68

THE NATURALIST.

IS TOUCH WITH KAIUEE. NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY IN NEW ZEALAND. By James Drummond, F.L.S., F.Z.S. Mr H. H. Travers’s chat about kiwis in a recent issue has induced Mr 0. Caldwell, of Apiti, Wellington province, to send a few notes dealing with the habits of these birds. He caught a pair in the Rai Valley, Marlborough, his dog having discovered * them in a hollow beech tree, where they had made a nest. Wherever Mr Caldwell camped in the district, he heard kiwis at night, and saw signs of them during the day. He thinks that, probably, large numbers- of them may still be found at the head of the Rai Valley, between Marlborough and Nelson. He confirms Mr Travers’ description of the kiwi’s methods of eating, and also his statement that they have a weakness for worms, but he discards the Maoris’ theory that they hear sounds made by worms in the ground, and are helped in that way in their search for food. “1 am closely acquainted with the Maori,” Mr Caibwell says, “ and 1 know that he likes to romance, and is somewhat clever at it. A kiwi docs sometimes hold its head to one side, as it listening to a sound, but I think that the object in assuming that attitude is to obtain a clearer view of the ground, as its hill is very large. The habit is followed by other long-hillod birds. As for a kiwi thinking that the rattling of pieces of wood tied to the necks of the Maori dogs was the noises made by worms, I am confident that no kiwi ever troubles itself to think about anything. Even in tlie daylight, it can see a worm very quickly, and simply snaps it up.”

Mr J. Riddell, of Kihikihi, North of Auckland, also discusses Mr Travers’s theories in regard to the kiwi’s methods of finding worms. Ho states that his father told him that many years ago in the country along the River Clyde, an old fisherman was seen hunting for worms in the mud, but instead of a spade ho used a skewer like a kiwi’s bill in shape and size. He probed the ground with this instrument in the same way as a kiwi probes with its bill. A worm, disturbed beneath the surface, often came up the hole, or close to it, and was caught and placed in a tin for bait. “ If the kiwi works on the same principle,” Mr Rid-

dell says, “Mr Travers need not be puzzled any longer. There is no need for it to scratch or smell, or open its mandibles below the surface. It merely has to probe the ground. If fairly large numbers of worms came to the surface, the kiwi would break them up when feeding upon them, and, while making its peculiar jerk would let pieces drop to the ground. It would walk away, leaving those pieces there, and that would account for the fact that Mr Travers saw worms and parts of worms in places where there were signs that kiwis had been feeding.”

Another correspondent, a resident of New Plymouth, comments on Mr Travers’s statement that he is puzzled to account for the way in which kiwis draw worms out of the ground. He points out that the hole made in the ground by the bird is the same size as the bill, and, as it is smaller at the bottom than at the top, there should be some difficulty in drawing the worm out. The New Plymouth correspondent states that if a pointed stick is thrust into the ground whore worms are prevalent, th?y will come to the surface, and get away from the place disturbed. He. therefore, puts forth the theory that a kiwi makes a hole and immediately withdraws its bill in order to search amongst the surrounding vegetation for the worms that come up,, using its highly developed sense of smell, which is helped by the peculiar position of its nostrils, at the tip of the bill instead of at the base. If tire theory is accepted, ho says, there is no reason to feel puzzled at th fact that the hole has the same circumference as the bill.

The same correspondent states that the movements of immense flocks of starlings at the Sugar-loaf Island, near New Plymouth, described in this column some time ago, were noticed last summer, morning and evening, and that flocks were again passing to and fro whe nhe wrote, on July 26 last. If the wind was settled in a certain direction, the birds alighted on the lee side of the island, but on calm evenings they seemed to be doubtful which side would be sheltered. Flock after flock joined together, until they formed a dense mass, which constantly changed its shape as the birds circled around the j>eak of the island. He describes the sight as worth seeing and watching for a long time.

It is usual for correspondents to this column to report the arrival of the pretty little shining cuckoo in September and October, and there is some competition to note its first appearance in the spring. This year Mr W. Horne has got far ahead of all Other correspondents by reporting having heard the “ spring-bird,” as he calls it, at Te Akatea, Ngaruawahia, about 70 miles south of Auckland City, on July 19. “ I think that this is a particularly early record,” he says, “ and so I take theopportunity of reporting it at once and he adds ; “ A pair used to nest in a tree alongside my house, but they were disturbed three years ago, and since then I have noticed them only coming and going.” The bird he saw last month probably massed the migration in the autumn, and remained in this country all through the winter. This theory seems to be more feasible than the belief that the bird set out for New Zealand some four months before the time always selected by most of the shining cuckoos. Although the teport is very interesting, it can hardly count in the records of this year’s arrivals.

Mr Taylor White, of Wimbledon, Hawke’s Bay, has supplemented recent notes on ants sent by Mr W. W. Smith, of Hew Plymouth, and the Rev. E. A. Elliott, of Ashburton. He states that in old forest districts of Hawke’s Bay there are several species of ants which, in a particular condition of the atmosphere, migrate in immense swarms, evidently to establish new colonies. One day in a bush camp, when he was seated at a small table reading, he saw a winged ant settle on the table and begin to run quickly about. After a short time it became passive, and seemed to be cleaning one wing with a hind leg. This seemed to be done with unnecessary roughness, and soon the wings broke completely away from the body. The wing on the other side of the body was removed in the same way, and the ant, being ready to begin housekeeping, disappeared at a run. Mr White also reports the presence of white ants, or termites, in Hawke’s Bay, nesting in logs or in places where the living pine tree has been damaged. When their nests are broken up they do not seem to be in any haste to escape. In the colonies of these ants Mr WTiite has seen several “ larger creatures,” which he is unable to identify, but which he de scribes as being nearly half an inch long. The hind part of the bodies is white, the fore part and head a light nut colour, and they have immense jaws, like a pair of nippers, which work with a lateral movement.

Mr Elliott, by the way, has studied many different branches of the dominion’s natural history, and he adds a note in regard to eels. He writes : “ I notice that Mr Melvill Crispe is somewhat surprised to find that eels have been sucking ducks’ eggs on his poultry farm. There is no reason for his surprise, as eels will eat almost anything suitable for food. Thirty years ago, on our farm at Taukau, I watched with boyish interest a young duck disappear suddenly beneath the surface of the water as a brood was swimming in the swamp or Creek. It had been simply taken by a large eel without ceremony. I am fjuite convinced that in-the Auckland district eels make a toll on the wild ducks by eating its eggs. The wild duck there often makes its nest near the water-line on the banks of creeks and in swamps, and the eels have ample opportunities for securing the eggs just after a small fresh, caused by heavy rains. I have often found traces of eggs in eels. There is no doubt that eels cheek the increase of wild ducks, to even a greater extent than shags check the increase of eels.”