AND OTHER BIRDS 23 



the breed ''but subserves another's need." 

 The Sea Hawk and no doubt the Black-backed 

 Gull take him at will, and I have seen the 

 Mollymawk, too, swoop and threaten. 



A third kind of Petrel, the Titi Wainui, we 

 also found in occupation of its ]mrrow, but with 

 no egg laid. The nesting habits and burrows of 

 this species are much like those of the Parara, 

 but the bird itself smaller, less fierce in defence, 

 and with the beak much less broad. 



The Mutton Bird, in spite of Banjo's nose, and 

 tlie constant use in scores of likely holes of our 

 supple-jack wand, we failed to locate. There 

 were, in fact, but a very few birds of this species 

 either sitting or in occupation of holes. 



To 23hotograph these several kinds of birds it 

 was, of course, necessary to open up their 

 breeding chambers, and however gently and 

 carefidly the work was done the birds became 

 restless. Hiding their heads in the dark corners 

 and scraping violently with their feet they 

 refused to face the lens. Then, as their 

 eyes grew accustomed to the light, the l:>irds 

 never ceased to attempt escape, and running up 

 and down the exposed length of chamber soon 

 ruined their beautiful plumage in the clammy 

 peat. Sprawling on the saturated soil, wet 

 above and wet below, with arms and hands 

 engrained with dirt that caked, and could hardly 

 be scraped off, was melancholy work indeed, and 

 a trial even to the enthusiast. 



As the afternoon of this our first full day on 

 the island wore on, the birds in their burrows, 

 the Kuaka, the Titi Wainui, and certainly also, 

 though we could not actually locate him, the 

 Mutton Bird, single or in pairs, sitting on eggs 



