4842 Tue ZooLtocist—Marcu, 1876. 
Stock Dove-—The stock dove (Columba enas) has been commoner than 
usual this autumn, and I think I may say that it is increasing considerably 
in this neighbourhood. This bird used to breed plentifully in the rabbit- 
holes in the warrens on the wolds, and when these were brought under cul- 
tivation they were of course dispersed, and I at first thought the increase 
might have arisen from this source; but now that I meet with them breed- 
ing almost everywhere, and quite close to the town, I begin to think they 
must be on the increase. Their mode of nesting is very various, some- 
times on the ground under whin bushes, and when the warrens were 
ploughed out many nested the first year at the bottom of the hedges near, but 
they have all disappeared from there now, and breed in the same situations 
as the common ring dove—if anything higher up in the fir trees. I have 
found several quite at the top: they are very fond of the hole in a tree, 
when such is to be found suitable; but the demand very much exceeds the 
supply, and they have in consequence to be content with the holes about 
the roots. Our low grounds are much frequented by them in the winter 
and spring, and I have noticed they are usually in flocks by themselves or 
in pairs, and not mixed with the ring dove, though in the woods both kinds 
flock together. ‘They resort to the same places for food as the ring dove— 
viz. old stubbles, reeds, &c.—and in snow to the tops of turnips. ‘They are 
much more frequently seen in the game shops now than formerly ; at least I 
think so. The keepers hereabouts call them “ rock pigeons,” not distin- 
guishing between them and the true Columba livia. The latter bird, by 
the way, visits our pigeon-cotes in numbers in the wiuter, mingling with the 
tame birds, but they all leave again in the spring, if permitted to do so, 
which I fancy is not very often.—’, Boyes. 
Deinornis.—New Zealand papers just to hand report an interesting dis- 
covery of moa bones in that colony farther north than any have previously 
been found. No remains of the extinct bird having been discovered north 
of the town of Auckland, the moa region was supposed to have lain altoge- 
ther to the south of that place. The advices now received, however, state 
that numerous bones, representing the skeletons of fifteen moas, have been 
found along the beach for many miles north of Whangarei Heads, sixty 
miles to the north of Auckland. The discoverers were Mr. George Thorne 
and Mr. Kirk, the Secretary of the Auckland Institute. With the moa 
bones were discovered several human skulls and a complete human skeleton 
in a sitting posture (the position in which it was usual to bury Maoris) ; 
also many large pebbles, such as the moa was in the habit of swallowing 
with its food, a rude stone hatchet, and some chips of obsidian. The spot 
where the remains were discovered was at one time covered with vegetation, 
but this having been burned by bush fires the ground had been covered by 
drifting sand, the disturbance of which by the wind has exposed the bones. 
The natives in the district had no knowledge whatever of the existence of 
