274 Transactions. — Zoology, 



to cause the sheep to pick or bite the wool from its sides, flank, and other 

 parts, until the fleece becomes more or less ragged and wasted. The skin 

 becomes rough, and shows symptoms of disease. It is not contagious, but 

 attacks sheep of all ages. It is more damaging in flocks that have been 

 closely bred ' in and in ' for many years ; indeed this is the case with most 

 diseases. As both a preventative and cure, wood and cob ashes with salt 

 are used, with partial success." 



Art. XXXIX. — Notes on Zoological Researches made on the Chicken Islands, 

 East Coast of the North Island. By Andreas Eeischek. Communicated 

 by Professor von Haast, PH.D., F.R.S. 



[Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, ith August, 1881.] 

 In December of last year I paid a visit to that cluster of islands called the 

 Chickens, situated east of Wangarei Bay, on the East Coast of the North 

 Island. There are six islands, three of which are of some size, and three 

 are small. The first are covered with bush, with the exception of a few 

 abandoned Maori plantations, now overgrown with flax and scrub. They 

 are hilly and contain copious springs of excellent water. On the large 

 western island two good boat harbours are situated on the southern and 

 western side, and between the islands are good places for small vessels to 

 anchor. In examining the summits of these larger islands I found remains 

 of Maori pahs with numerous cooking places and kitchen middens near 

 them. In excavating amongst them I found only one polished stone axe, 

 but several specimens of chipped flint, together with a quantity of mussel 

 and other marine shells, of which the animals have evidently served as 

 food to the former inhabitants. On the smaller islands the bare rocks 

 show mostly, covered here and there with patches of low scrub. All the 

 islands are uninhabited. The avifauna consisted of 



Hieracidea novm-zealandim, Lath. Scarce. 



Circus assimilis, Gray. 



Prosthemadera novce-zealandice, Gray. 



Anthornis melanura, Sparrm. 



Zosterops lateralis, Lath. 



Petroica macrocephala, Gml. Scarce. 



Gerygone flaviventris, Lath. 



Rhipidura flahellifera, Gml. 



Platycercus novm-zealandice, Sparrm. 



