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rearing. Although allowed its freedom, it always remained in the neighbourhood, fishing in the little 
bays, resting and sunning its wings on the stone pier leading to the “great pro-consul’s ” residence, or 
on the rocks which bound the little cove ; and so tame did it become that whenever Sir George went 
out in his boat it followed him from place to place, and occasionally uttered a peculiar cry to attract 
attention. But one day it was missing, and on search being made the keeper found its dead body on 
the beach, but to all appearance uninjured. 
It is interesting to observe the readiness with which it dives under water for protection. On one 
occasion I was watching one of these birds fioating lazily on the surface in Porirua harbour. Some- 
thing in its appearance seemed to irritate a Red-billed Gull which, after coursing about overhead, 
made a swoop down upon the Shag. The latter bird, by an adroit movement, immediately disappeared 
under water and came up again some yards off *. 
It breeds in companies, and frequently in association with another species of Shag (P. hrevirostris), 
resorting for this purpose to the deep swamps in the vicinity of the sea-coast, and placing its rude 
nest on the “negro-heads” or swamp-tussocks, just above the surface of the water: this structure is 
often three feet in diameter, and is composed of raupo flags, dry leaves, and twigs roughly placed 
together, and rendered compact by the weight of the sitting bird. A nest in the Canterbury Museum 
is a massive bed of flax-leaves, toetoe, and dry grasses pressed together into a thick flat layer, 
measuring about 20 inches by 15 inches, with a thickness of 3 to 4 inches, and with a slight depression 
on the top. The eggs, which are usually three in number, are of a perfectly elliptical form, measuring 
2‘5 inches in length by I'6 in breadth, and are greenish white, with a thin covering of chalky matter. 
* “ The Battle op the Bieds.” — The foUowing is a translation of the Maori fahle, as related to me by a Ngatiawa chief. It 
is a fair specimen of this class of Maori fables, and is interesting as showing how many of the names of the birds are derived from 
their cries : — “The cause was an eel. The river Shag had a swamp of its own; the ocean Shag lived on the water. The two 
Shags contended about the respective merits of their feeding-grounds. The river Shag lived on eels, the sea Shag on snapper. The 
river Shag said to the other, ‘ Come along with me on shore and see what a fine feeding-ground I have.’ The sea Shag agreed, 
and they went together. The former, who was standing on a ‘ negro-head’ in the swamp, called to his visitor ‘ Now, dive ! ’ Down 
he went, and up he came again with an eel in his beak. ‘ Now, then, swallow it ! ’ Down went the slippery eel into the crop of 
its captor. ‘ Now, then, throw it up again ! ’ cried the river Shag, and up came the slippery eel from the depths of his captor’s 
throat. ‘ See,’ exclaimed the river Shag, ‘ that is the beauty of my food : you can do what you like with it.’ ‘ "Well, let us go to 
the sea,’ said the ocean Shag, ‘ and I will show you what we can do.’ Accordingly they went. ‘Now,’ said the ocean Shag, ‘ let 
mo see you dive.’ ‘ Not so,’ replied the river Shag, ‘ for I have come to see what food you can produce.’ So down the former 
went ; up he came with a snapper in his bill. ‘ Good ! ’ cried the river Shag ; ‘ now swallow it.’ Down it went, disappearing 
entirely in the stomach of the bird. ‘Now, then, throw it up again!’ He tried, but tried in vain. The sharp spines on the 
snapper’s back stuck fast in the Shag’s throat. The river Shag jeered at him, saying, ‘ Death lurks in the food you gather ; ’ and 
so it was, for the ocean Shag struggled till it died. This was the cause of the battle ; for the sea-birds had now discerned how 
superior was the food on shore, and were determined to make an invasion, so they collected all their forces for that purpose. 
yV hen the land-birds heard that their ocean brethren were contemplating a descent upon their feeding-grounds, they, too, began 
to collect their forces to oppose the intruders. The Huia was the bird who called the tribes together with his cry, htda-huia ! 
(assemble, assemble !). The one who kept the fighting-party on the, alert during the night was the Pipi-warauroa, his watchword 
being Jcoia-Jcoia-whitiora-wJiitiora-wJiUi-whitiora. This was a warning-cry to keep the party wakeful. The Tui did all the 
talking, urging them to be brave and big-hearted. The Owl was selected to offer the challenge, and he did the puhana (staring 
defiantly), and that is how his eyes are so large. The one who threw the last challenge-spear was the Tiwaiwaka. Having 
thrown the stick, he came dancing backwards, exposing his rear, first on one side, then on the other (just as you see the bird 
gesticulating, with its tail erect and spread, now-a-days). MTien the forces from the sea approached it was seen that the Ganuet 
was put forward to answer the challenge. And as the Gannet followed up the defiant Tiwaiwaka, the Oyster-catcher called out 
Iceria-ko'ia-keria rctwatia (follow him up to the end). And so ho did follow him up, and made a thrust forward with his bill, 
and thought he had speared his enemy, when, lo 1 his spear went through to the other side, for it was all tail ! The Pigeon then 
commenced to coo ; the Kaka cried arara-arara ; the Sea-Gull sounded his alarm of haro-haro. Then the two forces came into 
general conflict, and the tribes from the sea wore defeated and driven back. That is why they still remain there, whilst the 
land-birds enjoy their forests and swamps.” 
