Gutheie-Smith — On Bird-life on a Bun. 369 



For the last three seasons one or two brace of minahs have 

 appeared. This year, as the birds were evidently looking for 

 a building-site, I had a box put up in one of the pine-trees. It 

 was an open box, not at all adapted to the habits of the bird. 

 However, in spite of this, a nest was built and eggs laid. I 

 believe that normally these birds build in holes of trees or 

 stacks, or under eaves of houses ; at any rate, they attempted 

 to remedy the defects of their open box, and the eggs were 

 found covered with willow-leaves. Whether to hide the pale- 

 blue eggs or whether to shield them from the sun, there is 

 something in this action that seems almost to transcend what 

 we term instinct. I recollect the arrival of the first sparrows, 

 and how pleased we were to hear their merry chattering. 

 How dependent on man and his requirements are the numbers 

 and habits of the inferior creatures is well illustrated by the 

 history of our sparrows. They, too, like man, are dependent on 

 events taking place at the other end of the world, and for 

 which they are in no degree responsible. 



The earliest improvements on the run were done by white 

 men, and while they were resident on one spot our sparrows 

 increased and multiplied. At a later period all improvements 

 were stopped, and the sparrows decreased. When work was 

 again started, for various reasons native labour was employed, 

 and the men were camped out. Sparrows abhor such tem- 

 porary quarters as tents, yet their numbers began again to 

 swell. Later again they increased enormously when oats 

 were grown, rising in clouds from the grain and filling the pine- 

 trees with their untidy nests. The development of the frozen- 

 meat industry, however, was a serious blow to their interests. 

 We found then that turnips were the best-paying crop, and 

 ceased grain-growing. At present only a few couples reside 

 at the homestead and woolshed. 



i\.bout six years ago a cock goldfinch appeared in spring. I 

 used to see it as I went over to the woolshed day after day. 

 It was always alone, and, as none of us observed young birds 

 later in the season, I do not think the female was sitting. 

 Next year, however, it reappeared about the same time and 

 on the same spot, this time with a wife. Goldfinches are now 

 very common. Their plumage of red and gold ornaments the 

 autumnal thistle-tops. In the garden and lawn they may be 

 noticed gathering their food from the sow-thistle, and bending 

 the hollow stems, of the seeding dandelions. Yellowhammers 

 and linnets are pretty numerous. 



Five years ago the first thrush was heard, and now they 

 have considerably increased. They do not seem to particu- 

 larly haunt the homestead, but live in patches of scrub in 

 various parts of the run. Thrushes do not seem to do very 

 well in Hawke's Bay — at least, I have not often heard them 

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