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Sydney Porter—Notes on New Zealand Birds



ridges, some being quite inaccessible owing to tbeir almost perpendicular

formation and the density of tbe vegetation. It rises up to 2,300 feet

in tbe centre of tbe island and all tbe ridges seem to converge at tbis

point. Tbe highest ridges are mainly covered with kauri forest. In

some parts tbe ridges are so narrow that it is almost difficult not to

overbalance and fall down either side !


There are two small areas of flat land where it is possible to land,

but for tbe main part tbe coast-bne consists of high perpendicular cliffs,

some a thousand feet high, whose bases are washed by tbe sea at high

tide. All along tbe foot of tbe chffs and often on tbe chffs themselves,

growing out at right angles right over tbe sea, are tbe beautiful

pobutukawa trees whose crimson flowers are a great attraction to all

tbe honey-sucking birds, and when tbe trees are in flower, flocks of

Bell-birds and Tuis can be seen regaling themselves on tbe nectar

from tbe crimson blossoms.


Other island sanctuaries were visited, including tbe Hen and Chicken

Islands, Kapiti Island (tbis beautiful island I reluctantly bad to leave

after a three days’ stay owing to blood poisoning contracted in Fiji),

Stewart Island, etc., but tbe Little Barrier is certainly tbe gem

of them all.


Tbe following notes are not arranged in any scientific order but are

merely placed in tbe order as tbe birds were seen.


I was very fortunate in seeing nearly all tbe endemic land birds of

tbe North Island, but owing to being laid up with tbe blood poisoning

already mentioned I was unable to see a great deal of tbe South Island.

Though tbe destruction of tbe forest in tbe North Island is bad it is

not to be compared with that in tbe South Island. Tbe devastation

is beyond description. Hundreds of square miles of barren and desert

country with no sign of a single native plant or tree. One may drive

for a hundred miles or more and see not a single vestige of native

vegetation. Range upon range of mountains have been denuded of

tbeir forests and are now completely barren, reminding one of the

desert regions of tbe Sahara. It is almost unbebevable, tbe destruction

of native flora ; only in a few remote reserves does one see any native

trees, and all this has happened in tbe last sixty years or so. Tbe early

sheep farmers completed tbeir work to such an extent and with such



