342 Transactions. — Zoology. 



ably from the pen of a well-known New Zealand scientist^ 

 appeared lately in the Canterbury Press, under the head of 

 "Found and Exterminated," from which I take the following 

 extract : " At a recent meeting of the Ornithologists' Club in 

 London, the Hon. W. Eothschild, the well-known collector, 

 described this veritable rara avis, specimens of which he had 

 obtained from Mr. Henry Travers, of Wellington, w4io, we 

 understand, got them from the lighthouse-keeper at Stephen 

 Island, W'ho in his turn is reported to have been indebted ta 

 his cat for this remarkable ornithological 'find.' As to how 

 many specimens Mr. Travers, the lighthouse-keeper, and the 

 cat managed to secure between them we have no information,, 

 but there is very good reason to believe that the bird is no 

 longer to be found on the island, and, as it is not known to 

 exist anywhere else, it has apparently become quite extinct. 

 This is probably a record performance in the way of exter- 

 mination. The English scientific world will hear almost 

 simultaneously of the bird's discovery and of its disappearance 

 before anything is known of its life-history or its habits. It 

 was only a little creature, about four inches in length, allied 

 to the little Eock-wren, which lives in the mountains, and is 

 occasionally found dead on our glaciers. It was not a flight- 

 less bird, but from its structure was evidently very weak- 

 winged, and thus fell an easy prey to the lighthouse-keeper's 

 cat. . . . Not only scientists, but all New-Zealanders 

 who take an interest in the preservation of whatever is 

 specially characteristic of the colony, will deplore the exter- 

 mination of such an interesting creature. It is, indeed, sad- 

 dening to reflect how, one by one, the rare and wonderful 

 birds which have made New^ Zealand an object of supreme 

 interest among scientists all over the world are gradually be- 

 coming extinct. . . . And we certainly think it would be 

 as well if the Marine Department, in sending lighthouse- 

 keepers to isolated islands where interesting specimens of 

 native fauna are known or believed to exist, were to see that 

 they are not allowed to take any cats with them, even if 

 mouse-traps have to be furnished at the cost of the State." 



Mr. W. W. Smith, of Ashburton, in a letter to the same 

 journal, writes, " The setting-apart of the Little Barrier and 

 Resolution Islands as sanctuaries for vanishing native birds is- 

 a lasting honour to the originator of the scheme — the Earl of 

 Onslow — and the present Government who adopted and put 

 it in force. But, as Mr. Purnell observes, ' It is one thing to 

 maintain preserves of native birds in two secluded spots, inac- 

 cessible to the vast majority of the inhabitants of New Zea- 

 land, and quite another to have those birds fluttering daily 

 about us.' It is for the rare species still lingering in the 

 forests and other favoured spots on the mainland we appeal; 



