Reischek. — On Puffinus gavius. 98 



sunrise and went into the burrow. After some time one came 

 out, and again flew away. I then examined the burrow, and 

 found a bird sitting on an egg ; on dissecting the bird I found it 

 was a female. I never found more than one egg, and always 

 the female sitting on it ; the male I have found not far off in a 

 burrow by himself. When the young are hatched, male and 

 female rear them together, and defend them pluckily ; the young 

 are full-grown in March, when the Natives collect them for food; 

 the flesh of this species of petrel being the most esteemed by 

 them. 



When on shore, the habits of these birds are nocturnal ; 

 their breeding places are in the mountains in the interior, they 

 do not breed in colonies as the previous species. When 

 swooping through the air, they make a noise with their wings 

 like the hiss of a bullet speeding through the air. On dissecting 

 the crops of these Petrels I noticed a peculiarity : the absence of 

 oily matter or remains of fish, which is common in most of the 

 Procellaria family. I found animalculas, minute seeds, and sea- 

 weed. In my opinion this Petrel is not destructive to fisheries. 



The young of all the species of Procellaria could be made use 

 of for food, if properly prepared. In former times the Natives 

 had, to a great extent, to depend on these birds, and made long 

 expeditions to collect them ; the manner of which I have already 

 described in a former paper read before this Institute. I am 

 sorry to say I have found them every year decreasing. When 

 I went on my seasonal researches on my last trip, 1885, on the 

 Little Barrier, 1 could not see a single specimen of this Petrel ; 

 and of the other four species I found numerous on my first 

 visit I found only a few, but plenty of remains such as wings, 

 feathers, etc., destroyed by wild cats, Native dogs, and wild 

 pigs. In former times the Natives protected their breeding 

 places carefully ; but now, as they have plenty of other food 

 which is easier to be got, they are left to destruction in all the 

 inhabited places. I procured a few specimens, as you see here : 

 male, female, and egg. 



Art. XVI. — Observations on Puffinus gavius (Forst.), Rain-bird, 

 (Hakoakoa), their Habits and Habitats. 



By A. Reischek, F.L.S. 



[Read before the Auckland Institute, 21st September, 1885.] 



This Puffin frequents the coast of New Zealand, especially 

 that of the South Island, where I have seen them plentiful, but 

 in the North it is not so common. The plumage of the whole 



