BuLLEK. — Further Xotes on the OrnUholoijij of New ZeaJand. 201 



Springs district, and that lie has observed as many as a liimdi-ed together 

 in Kaiteru-ia and Eotorua lakes. On their habits, he has furnished me 

 with the following notes: — "In 1869 I was riding along the skores of 

 Tikitapu Lake with H.K.H. the Duke of Edinburgh, when our attention 

 was arrested by a pair of these birds with their young. We di'ew up and 

 watched them for some time. Taking alarm at our approach, the female 

 took her five young ones on her back and made several dives Avith them, 

 coming up after each submersion at distances of ten yards or more. The 

 young birds appeared to nestle under the feathers of the parent's back, and 

 to hold on with then- bills. In this manner they continued to dive till they 

 were entirely out of sight, and H.E.H. appeared to be much interested in 

 this singular performance." 



Art. XX. — Further Notes on the Ornithology of New Zealand. By Waltek 

 L. BuLLEE, C.M.G., Sc.D., F.L.S. 



{Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, l'2th January, 1878.] 

 Circus gouldi, Bonap. — Harrier. 

 In the " Birds of New Zealand," page 15, I have described a very beautiful 

 albino specimen obtained by Mr. Goodall at Eiwaka, and preserved in the 

 Nelson Museum. During a visit to the Lake district last year I saw 

 another, apparently very like it, hovering over the fern ridges that close in 

 the intensely blue waters of Tikitapu. As he swooped down upon a rat or 

 lizard in the fern, his under-parts appeared to be perfectly white, and the 

 upper surface of the body and wings ashy. 



HiERAciDEA FERox, Pcale. — ^^Sparrow-liawk. 



A pair of these birds bred for tv\^o successive seasons on a rocky crag at 

 Niho-o-te-kiore. They guarded their nest with great vigilance, fiercely 

 attacking aU intruders. 



I may mention that this species, unlike the generality of hawks (so far 

 as I am aware), may be attracted by an imitation of its cry, Eiding along 

 alone one fine autumn evening through the country at the northern end of 

 Lake Taupo on my way to Ohinemutu, I saw what appeared to be a 

 sparrow-hawk come out of the bush at some distance and descend into 

 an old or deserted Maori garden. By way of experiment I imitated the 

 clamorous cry of this bird when on the wing ; and in a few minutes the 

 . hawk (a fine young male) came sailing up to me and performed several 

 circuits in the ah' immediately overhead, and then took up his station on 

 the dry limb of a tree close by the road, where he remained till I was out 

 of sight. z 



