﻿Mr. 
  W. 
  W. 
  Smith 
  on 
  New-Zealand 
  Birds. 
  517 
  

  

  showers 
  annually 
  reach 
  farther 
  across 
  the 
  plains. 
  The 
  removal 
  

   of 
  the 
  heat-absorbing 
  tussock-grass 
  from 
  the 
  plains, 
  and 
  of 
  

   much 
  o£ 
  the 
  bush 
  from 
  the 
  base 
  and 
  slopes 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  ranges 
  

   on 
  their 
  west, 
  is 
  the 
  main 
  cause 
  of 
  the 
  modification 
  of 
  the 
  

   climate, 
  with 
  its 
  disastrous 
  effects 
  on 
  both 
  insects 
  and 
  birds. 
  

   On 
  the 
  cause 
  of 
  the 
  irruptions 
  of 
  native 
  birds 
  I 
  wrote 
  in 
  1888 
  

   as 
  follows: 
  — 
  " 
  The 
  cold 
  winter 
  of 
  1883, 
  followed 
  in 
  the 
  spring 
  

   by 
  severe 
  late 
  frosts, 
  and 
  the 
  continuous 
  cold 
  wet 
  summer 
  of 
  

   1883-84, 
  produced 
  a 
  wide-spread 
  failure 
  of 
  the 
  food 
  of 
  many 
  

   species 
  of 
  birds. 
  In 
  the 
  winter 
  and 
  spring 
  followed 
  the 
  

   irruption 
  of 
  Parrakeets, 
  extending 
  over 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  the 
  

   east 
  coast 
  of 
  the 
  South 
  Island, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  west 
  coast 
  the 
  

   ' 
  plague 
  ' 
  of 
  rats, 
  which 
  swarmed 
  into 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  towns 
  and 
  

   villages. 
  The 
  Tui 
  and 
  Korimako 
  left 
  their 
  home 
  in 
  the 
  bush 
  

   and 
  migrated 
  across 
  the 
  open 
  country 
  to 
  procure 
  food. 
  

   All 
  were 
  in 
  miserable 
  condition 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  verge 
  of 
  star- 
  

   vation 
  The 
  same 
  season 
  the 
  Wood-Pigeon 
  was 
  

  

  miserably 
  lean, 
  being 
  compelled 
  to 
  feed 
  on 
  the 
  leaves 
  of 
  the 
  

   kowhai 
  and 
  other 
  trees, 
  which 
  cannot 
  nourish 
  and 
  fatten 
  like 
  the 
  

   fleshy 
  nutritious 
  berries 
  of 
  the 
  miro 
  and 
  others. 
  In 
  the 
  same 
  

   year 
  the 
  habits 
  of 
  the 
  Kaka 
  {Nestor 
  meridionalis) 
  and 
  the 
  

   Silver-eye 
  [Zosterops 
  ccBrulescens) 
  were 
  affected 
  in 
  a 
  similar 
  

   manner 
  and 
  from 
  the 
  same 
  cause. 
  I 
  collected 
  several 
  specimens 
  

   of 
  the 
  former 
  in 
  a 
  plantation 
  of 
  English 
  trees 
  near 
  Oamaru, 
  all 
  

   in 
  a 
  wretchedly 
  weak 
  and 
  lean 
  condition. 
  Their 
  presence 
  was 
  

   a 
  rare 
  occurrence 
  in 
  the 
  district, 
  which 
  is 
  about 
  thirty-five 
  

   miles 
  from 
  the 
  nearest 
  native 
  bush. 
  The 
  Silver-eye, 
  or 
  

   * 
  Blight-bird,' 
  frequented 
  the 
  gardens 
  in 
  the 
  settled 
  districts 
  

   in 
  unusual 
  numbers, 
  and 
  attacked 
  the 
  ripe 
  fruits, 
  nothing 
  

   coming 
  amiss 
  to 
  them. 
  All 
  the 
  species 
  affected 
  were 
  in 
  

   wretched 
  plumage, 
  and 
  their 
  bodies 
  were 
  infested 
  with 
  a 
  

   species 
  of 
  Acarus"^. 
  These 
  facts 
  illustrate 
  the 
  effects 
  of 
  

   changes 
  of 
  climate 
  and 
  environment 
  on 
  the 
  economy 
  of 
  the 
  

   native 
  birds, 
  but 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  explain 
  the 
  cause 
  of 
  the 
  rapid 
  

   disappearance 
  of 
  certain 
  species. 
  The 
  Quail, 
  the 
  Stitch-bird 
  

   [Pogonornis 
  cincta), 
  and 
  Notornis 
  manteUi 
  have 
  vanished, 
  

   according 
  to 
  Biillcr, 
  in 
  obedience 
  to 
  " 
  some 
  inscrutable 
  law 
  

   * 
  Op. 
  eit. 
  p. 
  L'Ofi. 
  

  

  