380 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



vessel. After a while we shifted to Wilson's Bay, twelve miles 

 to the south, still waiting for the storm to abate. On the 21st 

 January a start was made for the Snares, but owing to the 

 terrible weather outside we had to return to the well-sheltered 

 Port Pegasus. On the 22nd another attempt was made, and 

 at 3 a.m. the Snares came in sight. 



These islands lie sixty-two miles S. 22° W. from the 

 south-west end of Stewart Island, and extend four and a half 

 miles in a north-east and south-west direction. The north- 

 east island, which is the largest, is little more than a mile in 

 length by half a mile in width, and rises almost perpendicularly 

 out of the sea to a height of 470ft. There are also several 

 outlying rocks. It is volcanic in structure, according to a 

 paper by Sir James Hector," which contains notes on the 

 geology of the whole of the outlying islands to the south of 

 New Zealand. We anchored in 56 fathoms about half a mile 

 from the eastern shore of the island. A boat was lowered, and 

 we rowed to a little cove or boat-harbour. The birds received 

 us with a chorus of deafening noises, swimming round the 

 boat, and looking greatly surprised at such early arrivals. The 

 island is mostly covered with bush, the akeake (Olearia sp.) 

 and kokomuka (Veronica elUptica) being the commonest trees. 

 The soil is moist, and largely mixed with guano. There is a 

 little fresh-water stream flowing into the cove, but the water 

 has a nasty taste, and is stained with guano. The whole 

 surface is honeycombed with the numerous burrows of the 

 petrels. Each of our party had his work to do. The captain 

 and the sailors turned out two goats ; Mr. Dugald, the photo- 

 grapher, took views ; Mr. Hibs had to sow tree- and grass- 

 seeds. I followed the birds, and at once saw three strangers — 

 a black tomtit and a swamp-lark, which were common and 

 tame ; and a bell-bird, which was rare and shy. Unfortu- 

 nately I had brought no gun on shore, and there was no time 

 to return for it, so Mr. Bethune and I chased them, and suc- 

 ceeded in obtaining two, one tomtit and one swamp-lark ; 

 both of which I have sent to Dr. Finsch for examination. I 

 have not seen either of these birds before, nor can I find any 

 description of them, so they are probably entirely new. The 

 tomtit was hopping about the lower branches of the trees near 

 the ground, just as the tomtit of the South Island does. 

 It differs, however, from it in its plumage, which is entirely 

 black. Its measurements are as follows : Total length from 

 the tip of the bill to the end of the tail, 5-2.5in. ; bill, 0-75in. ; 

 tarsus, 0-9in. ; tail, 2-45in. The swamp-lark or utick has rust- 

 brown plumage streaked with dark-brown, top of the head 

 darker ; wings dark-brown, edged with light-brown ; throat 



' " Trans. N.Z. lust.," vol. ii., p. 176. 



