BY SIK DODOLA.S MAWSON, Kt.B., D.SC, B.K., OIJ.E. 45 



cabbage, a variety of ferns, moss, and such like. On the 

 other hand the animal life resorting to those shores is of the 

 greatest possible interest, both on account of the wealth of 

 population and the interesting forms represented. 



The beaches are still well stocked with that largest of 

 all the seal tribe, the sea-elephant, the bulls of which quite 

 commonly attain a length of twenty feet. Fur seals, for- 

 merly so numerous, are now practically extinct. The only 

 other variety of seal haunting those shores is the sea- 

 leopard, which preys on the other seals and the penguins. 



Of bird life there is an amazing population, remarkable 

 for its numbers, its variety, and the lesson that it teaches 

 in adaptation to environment. They are principally mar- 

 ine forms; albatross, petrels, and the like on the one hand 

 and penguins on the other. Of land forms, there is little 

 to say beyond the presence of a species of duck frequenting 

 the boggy flats; the former existence in great numbers of a 

 flightless parakeet now extinct; and the presence of innum- 

 erable Maori hens (Wekas), which have multiplied from a 

 few specimens brought down from New Zealand by sealers 

 many years ago. 



This is no occasion for detailed reference to the wonder- 

 ful penguin population, beyond stating that four species 

 regularly resort to the island in the breeding season, namely, 

 the King, the Royal, the Victoria, and the Gentoo. The 

 noble and handsome King penguin is one of the worst suf- 

 ferers from the scourge of the sealer, and is in imminent 

 peril of complete extermination. The Royal penguins are 

 still found congregating in rookeries of hundreds of thou- 

 sands in several localities, notwithstanding that their num- 

 bers have been heavily drawn upon by the sealers for many 

 years past. The Victorian and the Gentoo penguins are 

 less attractive to the oil seekers, being smaller in size and 

 never herded together in the same numbers. 



The story that this bird life teaches of evolutional 

 change along lines fitting it for existence under the special 

 conditions of that great wind-swept belt of the southern 

 seas, is something to be particularly remarked upon. 



Records concerning the green parakeets which existed 

 in great numbers in the earlier years of last century indi- 

 cate that, in all probability, they were descended from a 

 normal parakeet stock transformed to an almost flightless 

 condition by long existence under the wind-swept and tree- 

 less environment. Though not wingless, the bird was 

 gradually losing the use of the wings, under conditions 



