'^wl''! M'Lean, The Fern-Bird of New Zealand. < ' 



is round in general appearance ; but here again the material is 

 bent at definite points, and this makes the interior appear 

 squared. One nest was a short oval ; others were more or less 

 irregularly circular. I am speaking of the nest as it appears 

 when the interior edge is viewed from above. No doubt the 

 stems used are very brittle, and sure to break while being bent 

 to shape inside the nest, and so help to form this many-sided 

 style of interior. The walls and foundations are composed 

 wholly of fine, dry grass stems, with very little of the flag. 

 None of these stems is thicker than a cocksfoot stem, and the 

 inner ones are the finest obtainable. They vary in length, some 

 being fully i8 inches long. How the bird manages to 

 work them into shape is a puzzle. I have never noticed wool 

 or feathers in the walls. The lining consists of a single layer of 

 feathers — usually the larger contour feathers of Pukekos and 

 Ducks — varying from i to 2}^ inches long. This lining is so 

 thin that the interior feels quite hard to the touch. The feathers 

 are so placed that the curl corresponds to the curve of the nest. 

 They are only lightly affixed to the wall by the base of the 

 shafts, and are very easily displaced. Those at the rim are the 

 largest, and are inclined to curl over and form a canopy when 

 the bird leaves the nest. When the bird enters there is a good 

 deal of shuffling in the nest, as if it were rearranging the lining. 

 Twice I have seen a sitting bird return with material for the 

 nest. This lining is often composed of but one variety of 

 feathers. A nest in October had a lining wholly of Pukekos' 

 feathers ; one in the same locality in November had mostly 

 Ducks', a couple of Pukekos', and a Rail's ; while another nest, 

 taken from the same place in December, had all Ducks' feathers. 

 This is rather suggestive as to the season of moult in PorpJiyrio 

 and Anas. An average nest measures in depth 4.5 inches, and the 

 same in width ; the cavity measuring 2.6 inches in depth, and 

 only 2.3 in width. Another is 2.5 inches in depth of cavity and 

 2.2 inches in width. 



Four is the usual number of a clutch, but a clutch of three is 

 sometimes found. In shape the eggs are long ovals, slightly 

 smaller at one end. They vary slightly in size, and one clutch 

 of three is more pointed. An average &^^ measures .79 x .58 

 inch, but the clutch just mentioned averages .88 x .58 inch, 

 while another clutch of four is .80 x .58 inch. The shell 

 is glossy and of very fine grain ; it is also very thin 

 and fragile, a clutch of three weighing (blown) only 5.75 

 grains, one of four 6.75, and another of four 7 grains per 

 clutch. Unblown eggs, about 9 days incubated, weighed 

 34-75 grains, and others, less incubated, 35 grains per ^^^. 

 In colour they are much alike. The ground colour is dull white, 

 with a very faint tinge of cream. They are closely spotted and 

 dotted all over with very small violet markings, over which are 



