Sydney Porter—Notes on the Cyanorhamphus Parrakeets 285


reported to be still found in considerable numbers. The Fates were

against us. We set out in a 50 ft. yacht, but the tempestuous seas

proved too much for our small craft. For nearly a week we battled with

the gales, having to seek, often enough, shelter in the wonderful inlets

off the coast of Stewart Island. What a relief it used to be to find refuge

in these quiet and beautiful waters which gave no indication of the

fury outside ! They were real havens of refuge, where we could light

a fire and thaw our frozen limbs and get something to eat. Eventually,

so bad did the seas become that we stood no earthly chance of ever

arriving at our destination, so reluctantly we had to turn stern about

and let the gale blow us back to safe anchorage in Half Moon Bay.


How these delicate-looking little Parrakeets manage to survive on

these small islands, which for four or five months of the year are

swept by bitter winds from the Antarctic, I do not know. The climate,

by all account, resembles that of the West Coast of Scotland. But this

bird, like so many others in New Zealand, seems to have been successful

in adapting itself to its environment, for it is very evident that no

member of the Parrot family could originally evolve under such adverse

conditions.


I visited Ulva’s Island in quest of this bird, but failed to find it,

though I have no doubt that it was there, but our stays on the island

were of very short duration and we had little time to make a thorough

search of the dense forest.


Unlike the Bed-fronted Parrakeet, this bird does not seem to find

any of its food in the open, and I have never seen it on the flax plants.

It seems, more or less, to feed upon the fruits of the forest trees.


Buller says : “At irregular periods after intervals of from seven

to ten years this Parrakeet (in company with the preceding species)

visits the settled and cultivated districts in astonishing numbers,

swarming into the gardens and fields, devouring every kind of soft

fruit, nibbling off the tender shoots on the orchard trees and eating up

the pulse and grain in all directions. The last of these visitations

occurred in the early part of 1886 and the one before that was at the

close of 1877.” Now all is changed, the Parrakeets have gone, never

to return, and few are New Zealanders who have been fortunate enough

to catch even a glimpse of this bird within recent years.


(To be continued)



