Hutchinson. — On Scinde Island. 215 



horn-coloured shell, Helix cellaria, that is also common in the 

 gardens, is not appreciated by the rats for some reason ; I 

 have found them crawling about in safety in these same cave- 

 dwellings. In the few remaining patches of scrub that mark 

 the one-time bushed Sturm's Gully you will find the shelters 

 strewn with broken shells in the same way ; in this case the 

 rats may be helped by the blackbirds and thrushes, though as 

 a rule these birds prefer to kill in the open. 



But when we come to the next class of our "island life" 

 — the birds — we need no fierce immigrants to bridge the gap, 

 as with the mammals. For, thanks to the sea in front and the 

 weedy wastes and shallows of the swamp behind, Napier, in 

 spite of its publicity, can boast of a longer list of native birds 

 than many a more sequestered situation inland. The follow- 

 ing list is, I am certain, by no means a full one, being made 

 up by a non-resident, who knows little of the winged sea-folk 

 to be seen by those who boat in the Inner Harbour, or, better 

 still, the open waters of the bay. 



List of Napier Birds. 



Accipitres. 



Circus gouldi. (Harrier ; kahu.) 



Athene nova- Zealand 'ice. (Morepork ; ruru.) 



Passeres. 



Halcyon vagans. (Kingfisher ; kotare.) 

 Prosthemadera novcB-zealandice. (Tui.) 

 Zosterops lateralis. (Blight-bird ; tauhou.) 

 Gcrygone flaviventris. (Grey-warbler; riroriro.) 

 Anthus novce-zealandice. (Ground-lark ; pihoihoi.) 

 Bhipidura flabcllifera. (Fantail ; piwakawaka.) 



Scansores. 



Platycercus novce-zealandice. (Parrakeet.) 

 Nestor vieridionalis . (Kaka.) 

 Eudynamis taitensis. (Long-tailed cuckoo.) 

 Chrysococcyx lucidus. (Shining cuckoo.) 



Grallce. 



Charadrius bicinctus. (Dottrel.) 

 Ardea pceciloptila. (Bittern.) 

 Limosa baueri. (Godwit ; curlew.) 

 Himantopus leucoceyhalus . (Eed Stilt.) 

 Himantopus novce-zealandice. (Black Stilt.) 

 Ocydromus earli. (Weka.) 

 Rallus philijjpensis. (Striped rail.) 

 Porphyrio melanotics. (Swamp-hen ; pukeko.) 



