WEALTH OF BIRD LIFE

Taranaki Daily News, 6 June 1930, Page 15

WEALTH OF BIRD LIFE

PENGUIN AND ALBATROSS. w , THE SUB-ANTARCTIC JSLANIIS. An ..account of the Sub-Antarctic* Islands'- of New. Zealand was given by Dr. Farr, ih the course of an address to the Society for Imperial Culture at •Christchurch. Most of the information he ]iad> to give, said.: Dr. Farr, was the result of a visit paid to the Auckland Islands in the Hinemoa some 20 years ago, when a scientific party was taken down there to make magnetic observa-. tions. These dependencies of New Zealand were , not so well-known as they should be, for in the past they had been the ,-aceno ‘df. many-, interesting . adventures.

The discovery of the islands was made in 1788 by Captain Bligh in the Bounty, the name of his ship being given to. the Bounty Islands. From then on the others were quickly discovered, the last being Campbell Island, in 1810. Macquarie Island wias under the control of Australia, but for many years it. was the scene of operations of- a New. Zealander, engaged. in the sealing industry, who also gave much time to catching penguins, although, this was against New Zealand law. r ' . <

.The nature of the climate of the -Auckland Islands: could be gathered, said Dr. Farr,- from--.the'fact .-that it rained the whole :bf ; the time that his party was there. The seas ‘were constantly very rough, for the islands were situated in the. “Roaring Forties.” The vegetation generally showed the effect climate. ' The most characteristic tree was the prostrate, rata, which had no great height, though it was of great length laterally. In the higher areas the stunted growth was extremely difficult to get through,; in fact one could almost walk on top of it. On, all of’ the southern islands there woe a very ■ varied bird life, especially on the Snares, which lay north of the Auckland Islands. Penguins of all sorts were to be met with, from the small “rock-hopper” to the magnificent Emperor Penguin, An interesting problem was set by the history of the penguin, for these birds, which could see only a short way before them, and which were incapable of much more than a mere, flapping of the wings, managed to return to their breeding grounds on the eaine island each year, although they were known to wander far from them each season.

The Auckland Islands were also the home of fliq albatross, which .always chose a high, windy place for its nest. This was because it was unable to rise from the grorfnd in a ealm, so that it chose a spot from which it could rise into a steady wind, or precipitate - itself over a cliff, thus, gaining sufficient whjy immediately.

ideals were formerly found *n great numbers on Jail 1 df tlic islhfills, Dr] Farr, bitv'were s3rah'htcd thftt YiOw: they |Li....... ...

been protected for many years, there tvere really not many on the Auckland Islands. Captain Bristow, who discovered the islands in 1806, brought away 80,000 sealskins after eight months, Later, cattle and rabbits were sent there. Seals, added Dr. Farr, were ferocious to look at, and made ugly noises, but tliey were very easy to kill, a small tap oh the bridge of the; nose being sufficient to make' them quiet.