Vol. X. 

 1910 



1 Iredale, Bird Life on the Kermadec Islands. 



A bird was noted building and when the nest was completed it 

 never received eggs. This occurred so often that it became 

 noticeable. As these nests were usually substantial, well built, 

 and perfectly finished structures, it was surmised that the birds 

 commenced early and completed operations before the hen was 

 ready to lay. This supposition was supported by later on 

 finding makeshift nests. One of these was such a shallow 

 dish of twigs with a lining of moss that had it been found in 

 New Zealand it would scarcely have been credited to a Tui. 

 The other extreme was a nest built up almost a foot with stout 

 twigs, at the top of which was placed a well-formed deep cup 

 lined with dried grasses and goat hair. 



The number of eggs was usually four, only one clutch of five 

 being met with, though some complete clutches of three were 

 noted. The colouration of the eggs varied, as did also the 

 shape and size. The ground colour was usually white, and many 

 examples were seen unspotted ; some eggs were suffused with 

 pinkish-brown, and the markings, of a red-brown, were usually 

 spots congregated at the large end ; the eggs in one clutch of 

 three were, however, streaked with dark brown, and the ground 

 colour in this clutch was a lightish brown. 



The New Zealand Kingfisher {Halcyon vagans) was the only 

 other land-bird occurring in numbers. Contrary to what I have 

 noted about the Tui, this bird appears to have developed noisier 

 habits. At any rate it was constantly heard, and when wet its 

 shrill notes as it caught a worm or spider were especially 

 frequent. From New Zealand literature I had understood it to 

 be a silent bird, only uttering its unmusical notes during the 

 breeding season. At this time it developed more notes, but at 

 no time of the year could be said to be silent. 



Another point of contrast afforded by this bird to the Tui was 

 its extraordinary shyness. Though never interfered with, it was 

 always unapproachable, whereas the Tui always invited itself to 

 inspect every item of interest. Its nesting operations were not 

 observed in detail, as its chief months were probably November 

 and December. It had commenced its breeding song at the 

 end of October, and young were seen flying at the end of 

 January. 



As there are no fresh-water fish, this bird has had to content its 

 appetite with less tasty food. It now lives quite happily upon 

 worms, spiders, flies, with now and then a rat. For a rare 

 delicacy it will go to the sea-shore and catch small crabs or 

 prawns. 



On Meyer Island there still breeds in numbers a Parrakeet 

 of the genus CyanorJiampJnis. Whether it has ever bred on 

 Sunday Island in recent years I cannot say, though the 

 probability is to the contrary. A few birds are occasionally 

 heard in the autumn on Sunday Island, but they do not appear 



