210 Transactions. .7- 



Southern Skua (Meqafostris antarctica). 



An interesting account of the predatory habits of the skua gull comes 

 from Mr. A. W. Traill, of Stewart Island. He writes, " When passing 

 along one of our ocean-beaches lately I heard the terrified screech of a kaka 

 overhead, and found that the bird was being vigorously attacked by a 

 skua gull, the kaka replying to its enemy's swoops by throwing itself on 

 its back and presenting beak and claws, but making very poor fighting, 

 though it succeeded in gaining the edge of the bush and darting into safety. 

 It is not the first time I have noticed the same thing occur. Some years 

 ago, when kakas happened to be very plentiful, and also very fat, a con- 

 stant stream of these birds kept flying to and from one of our outlying islands, 

 and quite a number of skuas had collected en route, and again and again 

 I saw them strike at the unfortunate kakas, trying, apparently, to drive 

 them into the sea. I never actually observed them succeed in doing this, 

 but some fishermen, whose boats were lying near the island, assured me 

 that they were often successful, and might be seen feeding on the bodies 

 of their victims. I have seen the skua swoop down on a black-backed 

 gull which had just obtained a choice prize in the fish fine, and the gull would 

 • drop its catch and make off without any show of resistance. I do not 

 think that the skua ever goes far inland, and, if so, this is fortunate, as on 

 the Euapuke Island headlands it has been found terribly destructive to 

 young lambs." 



When rambling over some hilltops near Preservation Inlet last year, 

 our party noticed many skeletons of small sea-birds — petrels and suchlike. 

 We were puzzled to account for their presence there, but thought that they 

 were possibly the remains of birds which had come inland to breed and 

 had fallen victims to the harrier. Later, when we reported the matter 

 to Mr. S. P. Seymour, the veteran naturalist of the inlet, he at once told 

 us that it was the work of the skua gull, which pounced on these small sea- 

 birds and carried them inland to devour. 



White-fronted Tern {Sterna frontalis). 



This species is plentiful all round the coast, and at certain rocky points 

 is to be seen in thousands. Mr. Jules Tapper writes of this bird, " They 

 breed in large numbers on the gravelly reaches and islands in the Waiau 

 River. I have seen their nests so plentiful that I have had to watch my 

 footsteps in case I trampled upon them. About Christmas-time the parent 

 terns are to be seen returning from the coast, each with a fish in its beak 

 for its young. In February and March they migrate to the coast, and 

 congregate in large numbers." 



Black-backed Gull (Larus dominicanus). 



There seems to be no doubt that the common gull does considerable 

 damage at certain seasons on sheep-farms. Mr. James Miller, writing 

 from Clifden, says, " I have requently known gulls to destroy both sheep 

 and lambs. I do not mean that, like the kea, gulls will attack sheep 

 running at large, but at the time when sheep are in full wool they are 

 liable to become ' cast ' — that is, they roll down an incline or lie with their 

 backs in a slight hollow, and their bulky fleeces prevent them from rising. 

 The gull starts opera ions on these helpless sheep by tearing out one or both 

 of the eyes, scooping out the socket, and working its beak as far as possible 

 into the brain-matter behind. In one or two cases I have found a cast sheep 



