﻿Mr. 
  W. 
  W. 
  Smith 
  on 
  New-Zealand 
  Birds. 
  511 
  

  

  all 
  over 
  the 
  plains 
  in 
  winter. 
  They 
  do 
  not 
  decrease, 
  as 
  they 
  

   reappear 
  in 
  undiminished 
  numbers 
  annually. 
  The 
  presence 
  

   in 
  gardens 
  and 
  the 
  airy 
  graceful 
  movements 
  of 
  the 
  " 
  gentlest 
  

   representatives 
  of 
  the 
  New-Zealand 
  avifauna" 
  are 
  always 
  

   objects 
  of 
  delight 
  to 
  both 
  old 
  and 
  young 
  people. 
  

  

  MiRO 
  ALBiFRONs, 
  Gray. 
  

  

  The 
  tame 
  and 
  inquisitive 
  Wood-Robin 
  is 
  still 
  fairly 
  plentiful 
  

   at 
  Peel 
  Forest, 
  Mount 
  Somers, 
  and 
  Albury 
  Bush. 
  Like 
  the 
  

   Anthornis 
  it 
  is 
  slowly 
  increasing, 
  and 
  at 
  present 
  it 
  bids 
  fair 
  

   to 
  flourish 
  in 
  good 
  numbers 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  years. 
  It, 
  however, 
  

   never 
  leaves 
  the 
  bush, 
  and 
  is 
  the 
  first 
  bird 
  to 
  greet 
  the 
  visitor 
  

   on 
  entering 
  it, 
  

  

  ScELOGLAUx 
  ALBiFAciEs, 
  Gray. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  last 
  five 
  years 
  I 
  have 
  paid 
  occasional 
  visits 
  to 
  

   the 
  limestone 
  rocks 
  at 
  Albury 
  to 
  obtain 
  specimens 
  of 
  this 
  

   fine 
  Owl, 
  but 
  without 
  success. 
  The 
  rocks 
  were 
  formerly 
  a 
  

   favourite 
  haunt 
  of 
  the 
  Sceloglaux, 
  and 
  were 
  for 
  several 
  years 
  

   my 
  " 
  happy 
  hunting-grounds 
  " 
  for 
  this 
  and 
  other 
  rare 
  species 
  

   of 
  native 
  birds. 
  At 
  that 
  time 
  (twelve 
  years 
  ago) 
  the 
  rocks 
  

   were 
  badly 
  infested 
  with 
  rabbits, 
  and 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  reduce 
  their 
  

   numbers 
  the 
  owners 
  of 
  the 
  land 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  rocks 
  are 
  situated 
  

   liberated 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  ferrets 
  in 
  the 
  district 
  ; 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  

   years 
  the 
  rabbits 
  decreased, 
  and 
  with 
  them 
  the 
  Sceloglaux. 
  

   Its 
  laughing 
  call 
  is 
  still 
  heard 
  occasionally 
  about 
  the 
  Kakahu 
  

   rocks, 
  fourteen 
  miles 
  from 
  Albury, 
  and 
  about 
  the 
  rocks 
  in 
  the 
  

   Opihi 
  Valley, 
  midway 
  between 
  these 
  two 
  districts 
  ; 
  it 
  also 
  

   occurs 
  about 
  rocks 
  in 
  the 
  Clutha 
  Valley, 
  Otago, 
  but 
  is 
  

   annually 
  becoming 
  one 
  of 
  our 
  rarest 
  species. 
  

  

  Larus 
  dominicanus, 
  Licht. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  freezing-works 
  now 
  established 
  in 
  several 
  districts 
  

   in 
  New 
  Zealand 
  great 
  quantities 
  of 
  offal 
  daily 
  accumulate 
  

   and 
  are 
  removed 
  from 
  the 
  slaughter-yards 
  into 
  the 
  adjoining 
  

   paddocks 
  to 
  be 
  again 
  removed. 
  The 
  oflPal 
  is 
  a 
  great 
  attraction 
  

   to 
  the 
  Sea-Gulls, 
  and 
  large 
  numbers 
  of 
  these 
  birds 
  daily 
  fre- 
  

   quent 
  the 
  yards 
  and 
  paddocks, 
  subsisting 
  on 
  both 
  the 
  fresh 
  

   and 
  putrid 
  refuse. 
  It 
  is 
  interesting 
  to 
  watch 
  the 
  Gulls 
  tearing 
  

   off 
  and 
  bolting 
  large 
  pieces 
  of 
  fat 
  or 
  intestine, 
  and 
  occasionally 
  

  

  