Walter Goodfellow—Some Reminiscences of a Collector 445


and found the stomach full of robin feathers. Owing to its confiding

nature it had fallen a prey to all the introduced carnivorous mammals

and it is little to be wondered at that it has almost vanished except

from the two islands where it now finds sanctuary. Let us hope that

its numbers will increase for to my mind there is no more endearing

feathered creature in the world than the North Island Robin of New

Zealand.


I was told that the birds on Kapiti recognize territorial rights,

each pair having dominion over an area of about ten acres. Any bird

of their own species which invades this area is soon put to flight.


(To be continued.)



SOME REMINISCENCES OF A COLLECTOR


By Walter Goodfellow

(Concluded from page 423)


Although I had five of my little flock of White-crested Penelopes

for three years they never showed any inclination to breed. True,

I made no provision for it, but the virgin forest was close at hand

and most days they paid a visit there, always remaining on the fringe

from whence they had an uninterrupted view of the house, and as I have

said, if I whistled they flew to me immediately. Several times they

were joined there by wild birds of the same species, but were never

induced to leave their home quarters for a purely wild life.


My house had a verandah 10 feet wide along the three bedrooms

on one side, and the tiled roof was supported by beams, and on these

they roosted and spent most of the day. They were very affectionate,

and whenever I had time to spare to rest out there, they kept as near

to me as they could. The verandah was a sanctuary for pets, as it

was unapproachable except through my bedroom and one other, and

no natives were ever allowed there. I had built the house myself and

designed it with that idea. Although I had twenty or more dogs,

great hunters, and all very savage with strangers, not one ever molested

my birds, which had all been hand-reared, except the two Yellow-

collared Macaws, and the birds of various species showed no fear of

the dogs.



