Aves.] SUBANTARCTIC ISLANDS OF NEW ZEALAND. 559 



determined manner possible drove away all other comers. I approached the bird 

 within 4 ft. or 5 ft., and took the photograph here reproduced. As a good instance 

 of the disregard of the presence of man, I may mention that the bird then hopped 

 off the carcase between it and myself, and I very much surprised it by catching it 

 by the legs. I released it, but it soon returned, to find its position usurped by another 

 bird. Filhol found remains of rats in the stomachs of the skuas. 



The following is clipped from a recent issue of the Otago Daily Times : " The 

 skua gull, we are told, is following on the evil courses of the kea, and is making sad 

 havoc amongst the island flocks. His delinquencies have been specially noted at 

 Campbell Island. There he is understood to have relinquished his customary sea- 

 faring pursuits, and devoted attention exclusively to the pastoral interest. No 

 sooner does a sheep get down on its back than he is down upon it like a flash, picking 

 out its eyes and otherwise assisting it to a rapid despatch. As we understand it, 

 this is altogether a new departure, and the probabilities are that we may hear more 

 p.bout it in the lambing seasons." 



_Lonnberg* has drawn attention to the following passage published by Hutton 

 and Drummondf : " But the southern skua, although it is called sea-hawk by sailors, 

 shows no disposition to attack other birds. Indeed, it may often be seen being 

 attacked and driven away by Gulls. It has been given the name of Sea-Hawk on 

 account of its powerful beak and claws, and not on account of a ferocious disposi- 

 tion." Mr. Drummond has rightly omitted the passage from the third edition of 

 the book. 



The habits of this bird in New Zealand waters in no wise differs from those 

 of its congeners in other southern lands, while it appears to be as aggressive as its 

 northern relative. 



Hah. — Southern Ocean, New Zealand, and all outlying islands. 



Fam. STERNIDAE. 



Sterna, Linnaeus, 1758. 

 ? Sterna vittata, Gmelin. (Swallow -tailed tern.) 



Sterna vittata, Gmelin, Syst. Nat., ed. xiii, 1788, p. 609. 



Not having obtained examples of the terns seen during the voyage, it is im- 

 possible to be certain of the species ; they are therefore probably referable to 

 S. vittata, recorded from the southern islands, and represented in the Canterbury 

 Museum by examples from Campbell Island. 



Small black-headed, white-tailed terns were frequently seen at the Snares and 

 in Carnley Harbour, Auckland Islands, during our visit, and, as far as noted, the 

 characters agree with those of the species indicated. 



Mr. Marriner records a tern from Monument Harbour, Campbell Island. 



Hah. — Auckland, Campbell, Antipodes, and Bounty Islands. 



* Lonnberg, K. Svensk. Vet. Akad. Hand., xl, 1906, p. 60. 



t Hutton and Drummond, " Animals of New Zealand," 1904, p. 222. 



