8 Transactions. — 2Iisccllaneous. 



of such pests as the stoat, weasel, and ferret, which are 

 annihilating the surviving portions of one of the most remark- 

 able collections of indigenous birds in the world. 



The kakapo {Striiujops liabroptilus, Gray) has suffered so 

 severely from introduced agencies that it is now on the verge 

 of extinction in many districts where it was formerly found iu 

 comparatively large numbers. Its eggs, being merely laid in 

 holes at the base of trees, have been attacked by rats, the 

 young birds by wild cats, and the old birds by dogs, stoats, 

 weasels, and by pigs. It still lingers in the centre of the 

 North Island, and is found in larger quantity on some parts of 

 the west coast of the South Island, but its extirpation through- 

 out the colony at a near date seems absolutely certain. 



It is not iu all cases an easy matter to determine whether 

 a given species has suffered more extensively from competition 

 with naturalised forms or from the direct changes in environ- 

 ment effected by man himself. The destruction of the forest 

 over wide areas at once deprives many organisms of both 

 shelter and food, as iu the case of the kaka (Nestor meridionalis , 

 GniL), which was formerly abundant where it is now rarely 

 or never seen, a fact all the ujore to be regretted from its feed- 

 ing largely upon insects. The kea (Nestor notahllis, Gould) has 

 suffered but little from this cause, but numbers have been 

 purposely destroyed on account of the ravages effected by 

 them amongst sheep ; still, in the high mountain districts in- 

 habited by this bird it cannot be considered either rare or local. 

 The parrakeets (Flatycercus novcB-zealandm, Spai-rra, and P. 

 auriceps, Kuhl) occurred in large flocks, and were very de- 

 structive to the grain-crops of the early settlers ; but under 

 the combined attacks of rats, wild cats, and especially of man, 

 they have become comparatively rare and local. One of the 

 most interesting birds in the colony, the huia (Heteralocha 

 acutirostris, Gould), restricted to the Euahine and Tararua 

 Eanges and their offshoots, partly, without doubt, from the 

 ravages of cats, but especially from the more merciless attacks 

 of collectors, has become extremely rare. Formerly a pair or 

 two could usually be found at the back of the Wainuiomata 

 without any great difficulty, but they seem to have disajopeared 

 from that locality. The migratory birds, the long-tailed cuckoo 

 (Eudynamis taitensis, Sparrm) and the bronze-winged cuckoo 

 (Ghrijsococcyx lucidus, Gml.), are becoming increasingly rare, 

 but without any obvious cause, except possibly the decrease of 

 Gerygone flaviventris (Gray), in whose nest both parasites 

 usually deposit their eggs. It is worth while to remark that 

 both the cuckoos may occasionally be seen all through the 

 winter seasons. The silver-eye (Zosterops lateralis, Lath.), 

 although still to be Seen in large numbers in nearly all parts 

 of the colony, is less plentiful in many districts than formerly. 



