^°igi^ ] Iredale, Bird Life on the Kermadec Islands. I^ 



places on leaning trees, one being noted about 20 feet up a 

 tree. Large nests were noted as follows : — Among ferns, well- 

 formed cup, composed of dead leaves and long straws. Nest 

 among fern, well-formed cup made of small dead twigs and dead 

 leaves. Nest among ferns and cherry-pie, well-formed cup of 

 dried grasses, twigs, and dead leaves, with green leaves and a piece 

 of green cherry-pie twined round. Very large nest under shelter 

 of fallen tree-fern was composed of dead leaves, moss, and nikau 

 leaflets, whilst another nest close by was also very large, and 

 made up entirely of dead slug-eaten leaves. A very large nest, 

 situated entirely in the open, was composed of dead fern-stalks, 

 twigs, and nikau leaflets. The manner of making these nests 

 was studied, and the procedure adopted was found to a great 

 extent to be identical. The site is selected apparently without 

 reference to its nest-building suitability. The bird sits on its 

 nest and picks up all the straws it fancies, and gravely throws 

 them behind it, first on one side and then the other. Having 

 selected all suitable, it moves forward, repeating the process, and 

 straying as far as a yard from its nesting place. Whilst watch- 

 ing this performance one wonders if the bird will ever get a 

 nest together, as after a couple of hours it seems no nearer. 

 However, as previously shown, it makes an extensive nest. 

 The only case in which no nest was made was when the 

 location was under a fallen tree-fern, and no materials at all 

 were handy. As many of the birds nest in situations from 

 which they cannot readily rise, they climb trees in order to get 

 a take-off. They climb by means of their bill and claws, with a 

 constant flapping of the wings. This is the method most of the 

 young have to adopt to take their first flight. 



Whilst, as stated, these birds leave Sunday Island at the 

 middle of May and do not return until the end of July, during 

 that time Meyer Island is crowded with birds. These birds, in 

 habits, size, and colouration, as also in their cries, cannot be 

 separated from the Sunday Island birds. Having such a small 

 extent of land, they are much more crowded, and, materials being 

 unavailable, nests are less in size or absent. Furthermore, only 

 scrubby trees existing, more nests are placed out in the open. 

 The earliest date we were able to visit Meyer Island was 29th 

 February, and we then found that birds were already there, but 

 only about 20 per cent, had laid eggs. On 20th May young 

 birds in all stages were observed, though still a few eggs 

 were noted. On 3rd August almost all the young had flown. 



In conclusion, I wish to tender my sincere thanks to all the 

 other members of the expedition, Messrs. W. R. B. Oliver, S. R. 

 Oliver, W. L. Wallace, and C, E. Warden, who, whatever their 

 occupation might be, never missed an opportunity of informing 

 me of any item of interest, or obtaining specimens. I particularly 

 wish here to publicly recognize the aid of the settlers on the 



