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Sir William Fox sent me the following very interesting note, under date of April 17, 1872 : — 
“Do you know of the existence of a ‘ Cranery ’ of the White Crane at Okarita, on the West Coast! 
There is a regular colony of them ; they build and breed in the trees (white pine, 1 believe) above 
the river or creek, a few miles (say half a dozen) from the sea. My informant, who was the discoverer, 
Moeller, Hokitika surveyor, counted 65 on first visit. I did not get up the river so far, but saw a 
dozen sitting in trees lower down the creek. Many years ago I saw numbers of them at Tokomairiro, 
Otago, where now they are, 1 believe, extinct. The Okarita ‘ Cranery ’ is, I suspect, nearly the last ; 
at least no other is known I have been spending two months on the West Coast, Middle 
Island, and exploring Mount Cook and its glaciers, which are equal in beauty to those of Switzerland. 
It is a pity the Alpine Club does not send out some of its members to explore the grand scenery of 
our Southern Alps.” 
Eeferring to the above, Mr. Leonard Reid writes to me : — “ I can endorse Sir William Fox’s 
remarks as to the existence of a ‘ Cranery ’ at Okarita about the time he mentions. I visited the 
locality in February, 1870, on my way to the Francis Joseph Glacier. The note 1 have (speaking of 
the Okarita lagoon) is as follows: — White Cranes were abundant on the flats, but too wary to 
approach within gunshot. The boatman informed us that there was a ‘ Cranery ’ on the cliffs, and 
also a breeding-place for Shags, but we had no time to visit the locality.” 
Another visitor to this heronry states that one of the breeding-stations is situated about three 
miles inland from the sea, on the banks of the Waitangituna stream. He found about twenty-five ! 
nests there, placed on trees overhanging the water, at elevations varying from eight to forty feet, and 
in close association with those of the White-throated Shag, the latter being five or six times as 
numerous, often forming complete clusters around the larger structures occupied by the White ; 
Heron ; these were coarsely built of sticks, placed in such a manner as to form a strong platform, j 
above which was a layer of smaller sticks, but without any softer lining, the whole structure t 
measuring about seventeen inches in diameter. The eggs are usually three, but often four, in i 
number, of a pale green colour, rather elliptical in form, and measuring 2'2 inches in length by 1'6 ; 
in breadth. 
Another breeding-place of the White Heron is supposed to exist at a place about twelve miles ■ 
north of the Buffer River ; but there is no positive evidence of this ; and Sir William Fox is no doubt 
right in considering the Okarita heronries as very nearly, if not actually, the last of their kind. 
The nest of the White Heron is a rather massive structure, with a flattened top (no appearance 
whatever of a cup or hollow), rounded in form, and measuring eighteen inches across. It is com- 
posed almost entirely of fern-fronds by way of foundation, with a thick rough layer of dry twigs 
above. It seems difficult to understand how the bird can incubate the eggs without their falling out 
of this rude flat nest or getting broken against the rough twigs on which they lie, without lining or 
protection of any kind ; for on this structure are deposited the eggs, which are three in number, 
differing very slightly in size, the largest measuring 2-2 inches by 1-6 inch, of a regular ovoid form, 
of a uniform pale green colour, and without any gloss. 
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