Sydney Porter—Notes on the Cyanorhamphus Parrakeets 281


place and noticed that some of the birds seemed to prefer to settle on

the perpendicular rocks and suck up the moisture which oozed through

the cracks. I noted, too, that the birds were extremely agile in their

movements on the rocks, running up perpendicular faces with the

utmost ease.


On another fairly large island some miles away from the small group

mentioned above we found the Parrakeets fairly numerous, but not

nearly as tame as on the former islands. We were fortunate in finding

a nest of almost fully fledged young ones within 2 feet of the ground.

This nest was in a hollow puriri tree and the three youngsters could

easily be reached by the hand. During the time my hand was inserted

in the nest it got covered with tiny lice-like insects ; when I withdrew

it it was covered with a brown crawling mass of these creatures.

Whether they came off the birds themselves or from the rotten wood

I do not know, but it must certainly have been very uncomfortable for

the birds. The youngsters were exact replicas of their parents except

that the cere was very large, occupying quite half of the beak.


I understood from other naturalists that the Parrakeets were also

very common on another small group of treeless islands to the north of

New Zealand. These islands we intended to visit but did not do so.

This was a matter of great regret to me, as I understood that owing to

the absence of trees the birds were ground-nesting.


It is almost impossible to get hold of any of the Cyanoramphus

Parrakeets now in New Zealand. On the mainland the birds are so

scarce and wary that no one is able to catch them. Then there are no

bird trappers, for all birds are protected and it is against the law to

own any native birds except Keas and Zosterops. Even were it possible

to get hold of any it would be impossible to get Government permission

to export them out of the country.


All the islands I have mentioned are bird sanctuaries, where all

bird-life is rigidly preserved and Government permission is needed to

visit them. This is, of course, as it should be, for no one wants to think

of the unique avifauna of New Zealand becoming extinct. But so long

as the islands are protected the birds will be safe from extinction. The

only fear now is from the increase of cats and rats upon the islands and

from forest fires. It has been known for cruising parties to land



