AND OTHER BIRDS 39 



hatched their eggs. None of the many pairs of 

 Black-backed Gulls seemed to be sitting hard on 

 their brown eggs. Lastly, a nest which I believed 

 to be that of a Bush Creeper was only begun, and 

 could not be completed for eggs during the six 

 days we had allowed ourselves on the island. 



On the other hand, I had never before seen the 

 South Island Robin sitting, never before found 

 the Bell-bird on its nest, and the young of the 

 Sea Hawk were also new to me. 



These Sea Hawk chicks were easily found, for 

 the parent birds, already described in October 

 as uneasy at my approach to certain localities, 

 were now, in November, furious, and their 

 swooping and cries exactly indicated the where- 

 abouts of their respective broods. 



One lot of two were five or six days old and 

 clad in grey down; the other consisted of a 

 single bird with growing quills, and in bigness 

 about the size of a bantam. None of these 

 chicks seemed to have any fear whilst being 

 handled, and submitted without movement to 

 touch. 



The young of the Sea Hawk probably almost at 

 once leave the depression on the ground which 

 serves for a nest. In its grizzly neighbourhood, 

 however, and in close proximity to the torn-off: 

 wings and half-eaten carcases of Kuaka, Titi 

 TVainui, and Parara, they stop until able to fly. 



Even in the extremity of rage the cry of the 

 Sea Hawk is thin and weak, ludicrously inade- 

 quate apparently to its feelings, and ludicrously 

 disproportionate certainly to its size. If, in fact, 

 perfectly furious birds stooping and swooping 

 at an intruder, ever roared gently as sucking 

 doves it was these Sea Hawk. 



