Gutheie-Smith. — On Bird-life on a Bim. 367 



The frilled shag is, owing to its cautious habits, called the 

 " duck-scarer " by the sportsmen living in the above-men- 

 tioned Sound. 



The spotted or king shag is apparently yearly increasing 

 its range ; the rocky islets off Jackson's Head have long been 

 frequented by considerable numbers. Two immature birds 

 brought to nie from White's Bay were, so their captor said, 

 "jist gittin' their toppins." It also frequents the sea-shore 

 near Cape Campbell, the Flaxbourne Station, as well as a 

 station to the south of Cape Campbell — localities all widely 

 separated. 



Crested Penguin (Eudyptes ijachyrhynchus, Gray). 



Several specimens during recent years have been secured 

 in various localities. Two specimens now on sale here were 

 captured in Queen Charlotte Sound. 



Blue Penguin (Eudyptula minor, Forst.) ; Little Penguin 

 {E. undina, Gould). 

 Both numerous. 



Akt. XXXIV. — Bird-life on a Bun. 



By H. Guthrie- Smith. 



'Read before the Hawhc's Bay Philosophical Institute, 12th August, 



2895.^ 



The natural history of New Zealand at present is in a transi- 

 tion stage. The importation of new animals, the wide dis- 

 tribution of firearms, the felling and stocking and draining of 

 country are all important factors in the great alterations that 

 are occurring hourly in our colony. The indigenous creatures 

 are being subjected now to a competition unknown before. In 

 every direction they have to face changed surroundings, and 

 this we shall see more or less in the paper I am about to 

 read. 



The natural history of New Zealand, however, is too large 

 a theme to be treated to-night, and I shall confine myself to a 

 branch of this interesting subject — bird-life on a run. I may 

 state that the run here spoken of lies about twenty-five miles 

 north-east of Napier. The nearest point lies about seven 

 miles from the sea. There is a lake about three miles long in 

 the centre of the property. The hills are limestone, and rise 

 to about 1,600ft. In one part of the run there is a strip of 

 pumiceous country. Some of the land is still in bush, some 

 in fern, some in swamp and raupo and flax. For years, 



