Reischek. — On Procellaria parkinsoni. 89 



I watched these birds by moonlight, and have seen the male 

 come out of his burrow and fly away; returning after a time, and 

 circling round in the air, he swooped down to the burrow of the 

 female? striking the ground with a force that could be heard 

 some distance. He stopped outside a little, then entered, and I 

 heard a whimpering noise. After this a bird came out and fly- 

 away, returning after a time to the same burrow, and in a few 

 minutes once again emerged and flew away ; but returned 

 before daylight, and using the same precaution on entering as 

 before. Then one bird came out and went to the second burrow. 

 I examined the burrow where this process was going on, and on 

 putting my hand in it was severely bitten, which was repeated 

 on my trying to lay hold of the bird, which drew back into the 

 chamber. So I dug with a tomahawk till I reached where the 

 bird was sitting, and tried to take the egg from under it, which I 

 partially succeeded in doing, when I was again so severely bitten 

 that I had to let it go. As soon as I did so, the bird with its 

 bill rolled it back into the nest. I protected my hand, and then 

 took the egg, which was quite fresh. My dog went to the bird, 

 which attacked him furiously. On examination I found this was 

 a female. I then went to the other burrow, where I saw the 

 bird go in. This bird defended itself in the same plucky manner. 

 There was no egg in this chamber, and on examination I found 

 this bird was a male. About the end of December I found a 

 female in a burrow, with one small chick covered with grey down, 

 which she defended furiously. I have also found very young 

 birds in January, even as late as April. As soon as the young 

 birds are a few days old, the parents leave them in the burrow 

 from before sunrise till after sunset, while they go to seek food. 

 On their return, they circle round the burrow as before, stopping 

 at the entrance to call, which the young birds immediately 

 answer. After entering they make a wbimpering noise, The 

 old birds leave and return several times in a night. Once or 

 twice only have I found adult birds in the burrow during the 

 day, when they had their young ; the reason being that, not 

 having left the burrow before daylight, they are afraid to leave 

 till evening. If they find their burrows disturbed they will not 

 go in. 



The Natives are very careful, when taking the young Taikos, 

 not to disturb the burrows. They make expeditions in May 

 to the islands where these Petrels are breeding. In former 

 times each tribe had their ground, which they visited every 

 year, and defended obstinately against the intruder. The birds 

 were taken out with a flexible stick, pointed at one end and 

 split, which was pushed into the burrow till the bird was felt, 

 when they twisted the stick round in the down and pulled out 

 the bird gently ; then bit the head, to kill it. They then took 

 the bird's bill, to cut the skin under the crop, and pulled out the 



