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only native land birds that do any damage at all are the hawks and the silver-eye, and certainly the latter and possibly the former do more good than harm. However, outside the large sanctuaries I think the fantail and the wren are the only two small native birds that will be found to be fit to hold their own in the altered circumstances that civilization has brought about. As there was a certain amount of overlapping in connection, with the preservation of native birds, it has been arranged that Dr. Allan Thomson and myself should act conjointly in the future. Botanical. There is not much to relate under this heading, as I visited little new country. I found new habitats for Euphrasia cuneata (eye-bright) at D'Urville Island, Hymenanthera latifolia, Slipa arundinacea (a handsome grass), Polypodium tenellum, (a climbing-fern) at Stephen Island, and at the Tahakopa River the rare tree Plagiantlms cymosus. General. Though of course the present urgent calls on the State finances do not allow any extensive fencing to be undertaken, yet I must express the hope that as soon as money can be spared the more important of the reserves will be fenced, as I am firmly convinced that if this be not done it will ultimately mean their ruin. In most cases it is not necessary to go to the expense of a sheep-proof fence, as sheep will not go into bush, that has not had tracks made through it by cattle. It is most important to keep out cattle, and for this a'fence with seven posts to the chain and four barbed wires is ample. I think that wherever suitable persons can be found honorary local inspectors should be appointed, as has been successfully done at Ohakune in the case of Mi-. Norman Christie. GAN N E T BREE D 1 X Gt-PIACB - Cjf E K1 D SAPPERS. Extracts from Report by Mr. G. K. Manneriru/. The rookery is situated about six miles from Clifton Station. In calm weather one can get past the bluffs along the sandy beach at half-tide, so that on a falling tide about six hours is available before the next rising tide bars the way. On the Black Reef two islands of rock are at present occupied by gannets, apparently breeding there. Shags and terns nest on these islands, and a few large gulls on the cliffs of the mainland opposite. The main rookery is reached by a steep path along the cliff, dangerous if wet, as the formation is papa. The birds nest in a large hollow formed in the top of the cliff, visible from Napier. The nests are only apologies for such, with a few wisps of dry seaweed which are the subjects of constant disputes among the birds. The gannets are remarkably tame, and if approached gently can be stroked when on their nests or on their young. As the young birds grow big the mothers cannot cover them, but will persist in balancing themselves upon them —often a ludicrous sight. The old birds have no leg-power and rise to fly with difficulty ; they generally scramble and Hop to the edge of the cliff, running the gauntlet of many pecks on the way, and then throw themselves over into space, always with a peculiar wagging of the tail. Then they fly round the rookery in a circle, always in one direction. Above and below this magic circle the birds fly in any direction, but when human visitors are present there is always this circling stream '* of flying birds -a most beautiful sight. There did not seem to be many young birds this year. Owing to their poor leg-power they alight clumsily, and generally come down with a flop and get pecked by the nearest birds. The young birds grow very quickly and soon, lose their down and acquire a speckled plumage, merging into pure white and. black as they mature. The plumage of the adult bird on the head and neck is a delicate lemon-yellow. Beyond the main rookery seawards on inaccessible pinnacles of papa there are more nesting birds. At sea in the immediate vicinity there were some thousands of birds on the water. Two years ago the whole colony was estimated at about four thousand birds; they appear to be increasing, though this year was a poor breeding season. I did not notice any dead birds about, or at high-water mark on the beach, from which one would judge that they are not now much shot at. This freedom from vandalism is no doubt the result of Mr. Gordon's protection in years gone by. To ensure continued protection it would be a good thing to put up a notice on the path which leads to the rookery from the beach. There is only this one way to reach the birds. Notes by Mr. H. Hill, B.A. Gannet : This bird is known as the Pelecanus bassanns of Linnaeus, and the Solon goose of the North. To the modem ornithologist it is called the Sula Bassana. A well-known writer on British birds has lately published a monograph on the gannet, which he calls " a bird with a history." It appears there are only fifteen localities known where the gannet breeds, nine of them being adjacent to the British coast. The number of gannets the world over is estimated at slightly exceeding a hundred thousand, three-fourths of them being in British, haunts. Mr. Gurney, the writer of the monograph referred to above, says, " The gannet colonies, without exception, are in rocky islands, and no mainland site, past or present, is anywhere known." In the Southern Hemisphere two varieties of gannet are known—one the Sula edpensis, inhabiting the coast of South Africa, the other Sula senator, inhabiting the coast of certain parts of Australia and the North Island of New Zealand. In the North Island the gannet is known to having breedinghaunts in Great Barrier Island ; White Island, in the-Bay of Plenty ; Gannet Island, off Kawhia ;