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in the course of a single morning. Other birds, too, are to be met with in these dreary maishes. 
The Dabchick is plentiful in all the open spaces of water, and in one little lagoon I counted as many 
as ten in a flock. The Water-Eail [Ortygometra tahnensis) and its spotted congener {0. affinis) are 
frequently to be heard, although seldom seen ; and the melancholy cry of the Fern-bird is so general 
and persistent that its nickname of “ Swamp-Sparrow” is not undeserved. 
On the 5th October, standing on the Paikakariki road-cutting, waiting for Cobb’s coach to come 
up, and gazing with a delight that never tires on the magnificent panorama that there presents 
itself to view, — the far-reaching ocean, with the rock -bound island of Kapiti rearing its majestic outline 
a few miles distant, and away to the north the low-lying coast-line, intersected with streams, and 
forming a border to the long sweep of sandhills and sw'amps that lie between Euahine and the sea, — 
I cast my eyes for a moment below, and there, in a “ negro-head ” swamp, of which from the position 
I occupied I had a complete view, 1 witnessed a very pretty picture of wild bird-life. A Grey Duck 
had brought out her brood and was keeping watch on a clump of toetoe, just above the surface of 
the water, while the ducklings (of which I counted eleven or twelve) were gaining their first experience 
of “ life in the swamps.” It was interesting to observe how they pursued one another through the 
intricacies of that stagnant pool, all covered with duck-weed, broke up into parties of two and three, 
skimmed along the surface of the water, disappeared in the sedge and tangle, assembled again for a 
moment, then dispersed in opposite directions, every now and then rallying round the parent bird, as 
if to be assured that all was right. On the appearance of a Hawk overhead, or of an innocent sea-bird 
making a wider circuit than usual in its survey of the sandy beach beyond, an alarm-note from the 
old Duck operates like magic and not a sign is visible of the brood of young ones, all hidden away 
under the overhanging tufts of vegetation till the threatened danger has passed. Cautiously one of 
them reappears on the pool and is followed by others, as one by one they recover confidence, and in 
a few minutes all is excitement again, and they are frolicking about in the liveliest manner. 
This intuitive or instinctive sense of danger and the impulse to hide so generally manifested by 
the Waterfowl, especially in the earliest stage of their existence afterquitting the egg-shell, is indeed 
very remarkable. The downy young of many species of Limicolse and other Seafowl appear to find 
their best security in perfect stillness. On being surprised or alarmed they simply squat on the 
ground and remain perfectly motionless, without uttering a sound of any kind, instinctively trusting 
to escape detection from their likeness to surrounding objects. I have often passed and repassed 
within a foot of a young bird thus concealed without being able to find it ; and at length, on 
discovering it, 1 have been astonished at the passive manner in which it would allow itself to be 
handled without making any sign. 
This species sometimes breeds rather late in the season ; for I have a note in my journal that I 
saw a flock of very young ducklings in the ITorse-shoe lake (Whangaehu) on the 14th January, more 
than three months later than the instance recorded above. 
As an instance of how the Grey Duck may be tamed by protection, I may mention that, on 
October 26, I saw a pair with eleven young ones within a few yards of Travers Biidge, Avon, almost 
in the heart of Christchurch, and several other pairs in the vicinity. It has generally been found 
almost impossible to domesticate this bird owing to its tendency to revert to the wild state. But not 
very long ago, when riding between Woodville and the Manawatu Gorge, I saw, at a “ Cockatoo 
homestead,” a flock of domestic ducks on the roadside, and with them a perfectly tame Anas sujyer- 
ciliosa, apparently a bird of the first year. It was distinguishable at a glance from the rest by its 
manner of walking, carrying its head low or in a crouching attitude. Its smaller size and more 
slender form also betrayed it, before I came near enough to examine the plumage. 
It usually breeds among the sedge and tangle in low situations in the immediate vicinitj of its 
haunts. As a rule, the place selected is a dry and convenient situation on the ground alwajs well- 
