Smith.— 0;i the Birds of Lake Brunnev District. 217 



pairing season, as I never observed them performing such 

 tiights at other times of the year. 



Glaucopis cinerea (Yellow-wattled Crow). 



This is another remarkable and beautiful species now 

 rapidly approaching extinction. Like other ground-feeders it 

 is exceedingly tame, and falls an easy prey to dogs and cats, 

 large numbers perishing annually from this cause alone. The 

 nest, which is generally placed in some low scrub, is easily 

 reached by cats and rats, and in some localities where both 

 are numerous the parent birds rarely succeed in rearing a 

 brood. While staying at Lake Brunner for fourteen mouths, 

 and travelling great distances in all directions every day, 

 excepting in wet or windy weather, we never obtained or 

 observed a single young crow. Occasionally an adult bird 

 came around the tents, moving spiritedly, and hopping tamely 

 about the tent-door, picking crumbs or other suitable morsels 

 of food, but only once did we observe a pair together. This 

 occurred two miles up the Ahuna Eiver from the lake, being 

 at the end of October. They were probably paired for the 

 season, and both w^ere in perfect condition, the orange-coloured 

 wattles being most conspicuous. One bird w^as slightly longer 

 than the other, which, no doubt, was the male. We watched 

 them silently for over an hour to ascertain if they were nesting. 

 They, however, moved on through the bush towards the lake, 

 when we left them, and returned on our course up the river. 



Like the preceding species, the South Island crow is a 

 beautiful object in its native haunts, its exceeding tameness 

 allowing a close and perfect study of its habits. When 

 observed clinging to the pale lichen-covered trunk of some old 

 tree, or swinging on the large fronds of tree-ferns, it supplies 

 a picture of bird-life only to be realised by studying birds in 

 their native haunts. 



An intelligent workman employed in the Land Survey 

 Department informs me that the species is still plentiful in 

 some of the south-west sounds. 



Carpophaga novcz-zealandia (Wood-pigeon), 



The wood-pigeon is exceedingly common in the Lake Dis- 

 trict. In fine weather large flights change quarters daily, 

 flying from shore to shore or from one part of the bush to 

 another to visit some favourite or seasonable berry-bearing 

 trees. The presence of numbers of this splendid pigeon in 

 March and April among the graceful foliage of the miro trees 

 {Podocarpus ferruginca), moving through the branches and 

 plucking the large fleshy scarlet berries, is another charming 

 picture of bird-life in the New Zealand bush. A plentiful 

 season of miro berries is invariably followed by a season of fat 



