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Sydney Porter—Notes on New Zealand Birds


NOTES ON NEW ZEALAND BIRDS


By Sydney Porter

(Continued from page 210.)


The Yellow-crowned Penguin (Megadytes antipodes)


This very handsome Penguin is found very sparingly on the

Otago Peninsula near Dunedin, in the South Island, and through

the kindness of Mr. Black, a member of the Avicultural Society who

resides in the above-mentioned city, I was taken to a rookery in an

isolated bay on the peninsula.


This small colony of birds inhabited a patch of scrub situated

on a piece of sloping land running up to the base of high cliffs.

The whole of the scrub was intersected by a network of pathways

worn by the birds. These pathways were cleared of vegetation to the

height of about 3 to 4 feet, being about the height of the birds,

so that one had to crawl on one’s hands and knees to penetrate into

the tangle of vegetation.


There were evidences of long occupation by the birds, for certain

stones which seemed favourable roosting places were surrounded by

thick piles of excrement and feathers. The birds were not so tame

as I expected and upon sight of us they hurried up the hill-side and

disappeared into their holes in the ground. It is surprising how

high these birds can climb, in fact right up the face of the cliff

nearly to the summit. We saw quite a few birds disporting them¬

selves on ledges high up on the face of the cliffs, which they could

only reach with the utmost difficulty, but it is very surprising

where these very determined birds will get when once they try. The

strength and tenacity of a Penguin are amazing, even of the tiny

little blue fellow found so commonly around the coasts of New

Zealand.


We caught several of these birds in their rookery and brought

them down to the beach to photograph. They bite savagely, and,

when once they have got a hold, thrash one soundly with their

flippers. They move with great agility in the woods but when

chased on the open beach they throw themselves down on their

breasts and lever themselves along with their flippers; at other



