Vol. X. "I Iredale, Bird Life on the Kermadec Islands. Q 



1910 J ' ' O 



Zoological Society of London for 1891. That paper drew 

 attention to the pecuHarities existing among the Petrels that 

 bred on the surface of the ground on Sunday Island. He 

 endeavoured to differentiate three species, but later withdrew his 

 views in favour of varieties only. As Buller recently still 

 maintained the three species, I anticipated that the best 

 work in bird observation would be done in settling this 

 question. 



Before proceeding further, a sketch of the extent of the group 

 must be introduced, as it is due to the imperfect knowledge of 

 the situation of the islets that much of the confusion regarding 

 the last-mentioned birds has arisen. Sunday Island (previously 

 known as Raoul Island) is the northernmost of the group, the 

 largest and only habitable one. It is about 600 miles south of 

 Tonga, 600 miles north-east of New Zealand, and 600 miles east 

 of Norfolk Island. Sixty miles south of Sunday is Macauley 

 Island, a grass-covered plateau, circular in shape and about a 

 mile in diameter. Twenty-five miles to the south of Macauley 

 are Curtis Islands — small, rocky, volcanic islets — whilst 50 miles 

 yet further south is L'Esperance, a mere rock, the southern- 

 most of the chain. Sunday Island is roughly triangular in 

 shape, being the summit of a volcano of large size. The crater 

 is about a mile and a quarter in diameter, and to the north-west 

 and south-west run two high spurs. The whole of the island is 

 densely bush-covered, the bush consisting of various trees, 

 whilst tree-ferns and palms sometimes predominate. As a rule 

 very little undergrowth was met with, though in some places the 

 ferns grow so high as to make progress very difficult. Though 

 of so small a size, travelling was so slow that camping-out was 

 the order of the day. Off the north-east corner of Sunday 

 Island lie a few islets known as the Herald Islets. Though 

 insignificant in themselves, they claim especial attention from the 

 ornithologist, as some birds which do not resort to the main 

 island breed thereon. The largest, Meyer Island, is only about 

 three-quarters of a mile distant from the north coast. Unfor- 

 tunately, however, there was no place on that coast where our 

 boat could be beached, and we had to come from the West Bay, 

 a distance of 12 miles. Moreover, this was only practicable 

 when a light east wind was blowing, and, consequently, our visits 

 were very occasional and hurried. 



In this paper I intend to treat only of the habits of the birds 

 as observed during the year 1908. I landed on the 31st 

 December, 1907, and stayed until the nth of November, 1908. 

 Thus the very best time for bird observing, as regards nesting 

 habits was, unfortunately, not enjoyed. The bird-life consists 

 mainly of sea-birds, which resort to the island to breed ; many 

 of these are well-known tropical species, whilst others of the 

 Petrel order have not yet been discovered breeding elsewhere. 



