8 BIRD LIFE ON ISLAND AND SHORE 
and comfort. During the feeding of this chick 
by the male, it was the hen’s custom to retire a 
yard or so distant, as if taking pleasure in seeing 
her offspring fed. There was an indescribable air 
of sober benevolence in the act very pleasant 
to contemplate. The chick becoming clamorous 
and no food forthcoming, I have seen the 
hen, as if to deprecate its annoyance, put the 
extreme tip of her bill into its little gaping 
throat. 
Although on a shore-line nearly clear of drift- 
wood it was impossible to erect any natural- 
looking hiding-place, we were nevertheless allowed 
eradually to approach, gradually to attain our 
ends. Upon our first discovery of the nests, I 
was relieved to see one of the incubating birds 
return even at eighty yards’ distance. As a further 
test of the approachability of this pair, a ken- 
speckle log was rolled towards their nest, and 
as the birds again returned after a brief vociferous 
consultation, a preliminary screen built of manuka 
poles, which we had carried on our horses, was 
erected thirty yards from the nest. After an 
hour or so, to accustom the birds to new con- 
ditions, this screen was pulled up and replaced 
within twenty yards of our objective. By the 
evening of the following day we had got within 
seven yards; eventually at the distance of only 
a few feet, for many hours a day for many days, 
