15 



bird, in attempting to grapple the bait, gets its legs entangled in a running noose, which its efforts 

 to escape only serve to tighten. I have frequently taken it alive by means of a steel trap, with 

 muffled edges, baited with a dead rat or chicken. T\Tien shot at, and wounded in the whig, it 

 attempts to escape by a succession of leaps along the ground, and, on being overtaken, defends 

 itself vigorously with beak and claws, its beautiful golden eyes sparkling with passion. In 

 captivity it is at first fierce, throwing itself backwards when approached, and striking forwards 

 with its long talons; but it soon becomes reconciled to the situation, and permits itself to be 

 stroked with the hand. The late Captain Buck, 14th Regiment, informed me that, while 

 stationed at Napier, one that he had winged became so tame that, on recovering health and 

 liberty, it was accustomed to return every evening to his garden and roost in the arbour. 



The peculiar whistling note already noticed is only heard when two or more of these birds 

 are in company. The young has a cry resembling the hoarse note of our Stilted Plover. Captain 

 Hutton informs me that the cry of this Hawk is very similar to that of the Govinda Kite, of India, 

 which he has frequently heard. 



This species prefers a swamp for its breeding-place, and generally builds its nest on the 

 ground, though sometimes in a tussock. It often repairs to the same place for several successive 

 seasons, the old nest forming a foundation for the new one, which is usually constructed of the 

 dry blades of Arundo consjncua and the flower-stalks of the Spaniard-grass rudely placed toge- 

 ther and overlaid with dry grass. The eggs are from two to four in number, but generally three, 

 ovato-conical in form, with a smooth or finely granulate surface, perfectly white, till stained by the 

 bird's feet during incubation, and measuring T9 inch in length by T5. My largest example measures 

 2 by 1'6. At first sight they appear to be disproportionately small for the size of the bird; but 

 they are not so in reality ; for the body of this Hawk, when stripped of the feathers, is almost 

 ridiculously small. After being blown, if held up against the light, the interior of the shell pre- 

 sents a surface of a beautiful clear - green. The breeding-months are October and November ; but 

 as late as Christmas Day (1863) I saw, in Matene Te"YVhiwhi's house at Otaki, a very young one 

 that had been taken from a nest (containing two) about three weeks previously. It was about the 

 size of a half-grown Gosling, and was covered with thick cottony down of a dirty white colour 

 inchning to buff, with feathers beginning to show themselves on the back, wings, and tail ; cere 

 and legs yellow. It opened its mouth for food on being approached, and, when provoked, would 

 strike forward or upward with its well-armed feet. It made one aware of its presence by its rather 

 fetid odour, as well as its occasional cry, which was like a half-suppressed whistle. 



I have observed that, in very old birds of this species, the feathers of the upper parts present 

 a faded and ragged appearance, from which it may be inferred that the moulting-power becomes 

 impaired as age advances. A specimen that came under my examination, in the flesh, presented 

 the following singular condition, for which I was quite unable to account, although probably the 

 result of disease. A space on the breast, and the whole surface of the sides, were entirely denuded 

 of feathers, these parts being covered by a thick growth of white down ; on the back also there 

 was simply a narrow strip of feathers down the line of the spine. The head of this bird was 

 greatly infested with parasitic ticks. 



There is a very beautiful albino variety in the Nelson Museum, presented by Mr. Goodall, 

 of Riwaka, where the bird was obtained. The whole of the plumage is of a very delicate white 



