8 iRKnAi.i:, Bird Life on the Kermadec Islands. r,st^"hii • 



the West Ray shore towards the end of April ; only a soh'tary 

 bird was observed at that time. On Meyer Island the next day 

 a few birds, apparently of the same species, were seen, and they 

 were also noted on 20th May at the same place. They were too 

 shy to allow approach to make identification certain. 



A pair of Whimbrel iNuvicnius variegatus) were noted on the 

 north coast the last week of September, and one was obtained. 

 The following day three similar birds were seen on the west 

 coast, but none was procured. A small, solitary Stint was 

 walked up to and shot the last week of October. It proved to 

 be Heteropygia ncuniinata. A few days later another solitary 

 Sandpiper was observed and missed in the crater. It was a 

 much larger bird than the last mentioned. 



The Barred-rumped Godwit {Liiiiosa novce-zealandicE), which 

 occurs in New Zealand in countless numbers, does not pass close 

 to this island, as it was not observed, though previously recorded 

 on hearsay evidence only. 



Of most interest to New Zealanders were the sea-birds, which 

 breed upon the islands in large numbers. Four species of Terns, 

 none of which otherwise occur in the New Zealand region, were 

 regular visitors for breeding purposes. 



The Sooty Tern {Sterna ftdiginosd) is the most abundant, 

 a large colony breeding on the level beach on the West Bay. 

 A {t.v^ bred on the rocks at the north-west point, and a 

 small colony also visited Meyer Island. On 31st December, 

 1907, the majority were engaged in rearing young, though 

 some were still sitting on eggs. Indeed, fresh eggs were 

 collected from the plot farmed by the settlers. As the first 

 eggs had been obtained on the 2nd November, this gives 

 exactly two months during which fresh eggs were procurable. 

 It would be interesting to correlate the various dates upon 

 which this widely-spread species commences incubation in its 

 diverse breeding localities. The beginning of February saw the 

 earliest of the young birds on the wing, though eggs were 

 still being sat upon by late comers. Of all birds I have ever 

 observed or read about, these dislike wet weather the most. 

 Owing to this failing, the young birds often perish in great 

 numbers. At the first drop of rain the whole colony rise and 

 fly away to sea, leaving either their eggs or young to the mercy 

 of the weather.* If the rain persists, they stay away until it is 

 finished, and in the meanwhile the young ones, unless well 

 grown and strong, perish. I saw the effect of such weather 

 early in February. Two wet days caused the death of many 

 newly-hatched young and the desertion of all the eggs at that 

 time being sat upon. The old birds commenced to leave 

 the island the middle of March, and by the end of the following 



* Mr. A.J. Campbell records a similar instance regarding Noddy Terns {Anous 

 stolidus) — " Nests and Eggs of Australian Birds," p. 853. 



