Pycroft. — On Birds of the Bay of Islands. 145 



36. Phalacrocorax stictocephalus. (Little Black Shag.) 



Sir Walter Buller has identified and reinstated this bird 

 on the authority of skins sent by me (Trans. N.Z. Inst., 

 vol. xxix). This bird is common in the winter, but is seldom 

 seen in the summer, x^t the present time — August — they are 

 very numerous, and must consume a great quantity of fish. 

 They seem to have a weakness for the young mullet. I 

 secured eight of these birds at one shot when a flock of about 

 sixty were fishing in front of the Opua Eailway-station. I 

 believe they breed inland on the banks of the fresh-water 

 rivers, but I have obtained no eggs. 



■"OS" 



37. Dysporus serrator. (Austrahan Gannet.) 

 Very common. 



38. Diomedea exulans. (Wandering Albatros.) 



I have seen this bird several times at the mouth of the 

 bay, and I am told it often enters the little harbour of 

 Whangaruru during the whaling season in search of offal. 



39. Pelecanoides urinatrix. (Diving Petrel.) 

 Common. 



40. Ossifraga gigantea. (Giant Petrel.) 



I have a specimen which, with others, followed the s.s. 

 "Rakanoa" up the harbour to Opua, and I have seen them 

 occasionally at the entrance to the bay. 



41. Puffinus griseus. (Mutton-bird.) 



Common. I have obtained its eggs and young from Motu- 

 roa Island. 



42. Anas superciliosa. (Grey Duck.) 

 Not very common. 



43. Anas chlorotis. (Brown Duck.) 

 Common. 



44. Eudyptula undina. (Little Blue Penguin.) 

 Common. I have obtained eggs and young ones from 



breeding-places in the harbour. A pair of these birds nested 

 under an occupied building at Opua. 



45. Apteryx mantelli. (Kiwi.) 



Common in places, especially at Whangae and between 

 Opua and Waimate. It is a frequent occurrence for pig-dogs 

 to secure one and sometimes more kiwis during the day. Un- 

 fortunately, birds caught by pig-dogs are generally torn and 

 useless. The country for eight miles behind Opua is very 

 broken and wild, with heavy bush in the gullies, and there 

 10 



