53 
It is easily domesticated, and becomes much attached to those who show it any attention. Some 
years ago I saw a very beautiful albino, having the entire plumage of the purest white, in the possession 
of Captain Eobinson at Manawatu. A similar albino was kept, for a long time, as a pet, by the 
Maoris at Tahoraiti. I have also seen one exhibiting a white border on both edges of the wings. 
At Wi Parata’s settlement at Waikanae I saw a tame one that had been in his possession for 
three years. It was perfectly domesticated and answered to the name of “ Dick ” — responding when 
called, taking food from the hand, and ruling the poultry-yard in a spirit of despotism. I saw it on 
one occasion valiantly attack a cocker-spaniel in order to dispute possession of a bone which it 
succeeded in carrying oflF. Another which I obtained from the nest in the month of February, and 
kept in my garden for more than five years, afforded me the opportunity of studying the habits of this 
species and of marking its successive changes of plumage before it finally assumed the adult livery of 
“ black and white with yellow mountings ” *. 
The most remarkable phase of character it developed was the romantic attachment it formed for 
a large black-and-white Newfoundland dog. For more than two years it had enjoyed the constant 
companionship of a tame Skua {Stercorarius antarcticus) and seemed then to be perfectly happy ; but 
on the death of the latter, the Sea-Gull moped for a time and then fixed her affections on “ Crusoe ” in 
a very unmistakable way. Whenever the dog appeared on the lawn the bird would run to meet him 
with loud clamour, and dance round him with every expression of delight ; when the dog had coiled 
himself to rest, the bird would peck him all over in a loving way with its bill, and finally nestle down 
beside him or even squat upon his soft coat, and if disturbed would utter a long squealing note as if 
in mild protest. Early one morning, although previously seen by the gardener, it unaccountably 
disappeared and was never recovered. Its affection for the dog seems to have proved fatal in the end, 
for there is little doubt that the bird followed the dog out and fell a victim to the street larrikins. 
We had become familiar with its noisy clamour and many peculiar ways, as it had been an inhabitant 
of our garden for so many years, and as it was in perfect plumage it was decidedly ornamental to the 
grounds ; consequently its sudden disappearance was a matter of general regret to the household. 
It breeds on the open sea-shore in remote or little-frequented parts of the coast, or on the shingle- 
banks far up the river-courses— nesting in large companies, and repairing to the same breeding-station 
season after season. The nest is formed with a tolerable amount of care, being constructed of dry 
* The following particulars extracted from my note-hook may be useful as marking the progressive history of the species : — 
It first began to show signs of a change of plumage in the month of April, the grey on the sides of the head and nape becoming 
lighter and imparting a slightly hooded appearance to the crown and face, whilst the scapulars began to present white terminal 
fringes. By the middle of June it had undergone a further change ; the plumage of the shoulders and back had got perceptibly 
darker, the new feathers covering these parts being of a slaty -grey colour with darker centres, whilst the sides of the face, the fore 
neck, and breast had become lighter, the transition from dark grey to whitish grey having quite altered the expression of the face 
and given the eyes a fretful look. Jlo change in the colours of the soft parts was observable tiU J anuary, when the irides had turned 
to greyish brown, the legs had become tinged with pale green and the bill appreciably lighter in colour. At this period also the 
back was moulting, the new slaty-black feathers being very conspicuous. After an absence from home of several months I 
observed a considerable change, the condition of the bird at the end of December being as follows Head and neck white, 
somewhat clouded and spotted with brown ; shoulders and underparts of the body white, more or less blotched with greyish 
brown ; wings shaded with blackish brown ; rump white ; the interscapulars changing from blackish brown to the slaty-black 
colour characteristic of tho adult bird ; tail black ; under tail-coverts wMte, broadly barred with blackish brown; bill greenish 
yellow, changing to reddish towards the symphysis of the lower mandible; logs pale greyish green ; irides pale grey. In the 
following month there was a rapid whitening of the head and neck, and the primaries and secondaries, which had been cut short 
more than a vear before, were replaced by new ones, black instead of brown, the broad white tips on the two middle secondaries 
being very conspicuous. By the end of February (the bird being then three years old) the adult livery had been fully assumed, 
except that there were some clouded markings of grey on the head, neck, and underparts ; but as the latter rapidly diminished 
and finally disappeared it was evident that the change to perfect whiteness had taken place in the feathers themselves ; the tail 
had become pure white, and the bill uniform dull yellow, washed with reddish brown on the symphysial prominence of the lower 
mandible; the irides pearl-grey, and the legs and feet dull greenish grey. 
