Phim'Ott. — Notes on the Birds of South-western Otayo. '209 



districts before poisoned grain was introduced. The stoat and weasel, by 

 robbing the nests and killing the young birds, probably aided only in a 

 work of destruction already far advanced. 



Mr. E. Stocker informs me that the weka is still fairly common in some, 

 parts of Stewart Island, but I am not sure whether 0. earli or 0. australis 

 is referred to. From Mr. E. Gibb I learn that in 1889 he made a trip round 

 Lake Hauroko without seeing or hearing a weka. In 1910 he again visited 

 the locality and found the weka very common, in spite of the fact that 

 stoats and weasels were then numerous. During the present year (1912), 

 however, the weka, according to Mr. Jules Tapper, has again disappeared 

 from the lake. These facts are interesting, and would appear to point 

 to migratory habits on the part of the bird. Unfortunately, specimens 

 were not secured, and it is uncertain whether the species may have been 

 0. australis or the West Coast weka, 0. brachypterus. The latter is quite 

 common throughout the West Coast region, being particularly plentiful 

 about Lake Hakapoua. 



Pukeko (Porphyrio melanonotus). 



Once, when walking along the bank of a small creek, I came suddenly 

 ■on a pukeko. It had been making a meal of fresh-water mussels. One 

 shell had evidently been wrenched open but a few moments before my 

 arrival, fragments of the mollusc still adhering to it. About half a dozen 

 . closed shells were lying about, two or three of which showed marks of the 

 bird's attempts to open them. Many empty shells were scattered around. 



White Heron (Herodias tinioriensis). 



Though generally regarded as extinct in the south, I learn from Mr. E. 

 Stocker that in 1910 two were known to frequent a certain locality in 

 Stewart Island. 



Blue Heron (Demiegretta sacra). 



The sea-stacks and rocky islets on the coast of Fiordland are favourite 

 haunts for the blue heron. Mr. John Gray informs me that this birds breeds 

 on some of the inshore islets, usually in inaccessible places. 



Banded Dotterel (Ochthodromus bicinctus). 



It seems probable that this quaint little bird migrates from the south 

 during the winter months. Mr. E. Stocker writes, " I may say that they 

 pass over this town.(Invercargill), as a rule at night, in the late autumn 

 in large numbers. They seem invariably to select a break of still, drizzly 

 weather for their flight, and for some years past I have heard their un- 

 mistakable ' chip, chip,' like the sound of two stones being sharply tapped 

 together, passing overhead at no great height. I have also seen them on 

 the foreshore of our estuary during the day at the same time of the year, 

 usually in ones or twos, as though separated from the flock." Early in 

 August the dotterel is again present, and in some seasons it returns in mid- 

 July. 



Pied Stilt (Himantopas picatus). 



Mr. Robert Gibb states that the pied stilt is not uncommon along the 

 river-bed in the Waikaia Valley. It is also to be met with in fair numbers 

 on the gravel beaches of the Mataura River, and Mr. Gibb thinks that the 

 bird is certainly holding its own, if not becoming more numerous. 



