Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand (Volume 14)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1882 Excerpt: ...They are hilly and contain copious springs of excellent water. On the large western island two good boat harbours are situated on the southern and western side, and between the islands are good places for small vessels to anchor. In examining the summits of these larger islands I found remains of Maori pahs with numerous cooking places and kitchen middens near them. In excavating amongst them I found only one polished stone axe, but several specimens of chipped flint, together with a quantity of mussel and other marine shells, of which the animals have evidently served as food to the former inhabitants. On the smaller islands the bare rocks show mostly, covered here and there with patches of low scrub. All the islands are uninhabited. The avifauna consisted of Hieracidea nova-zealandia, Lath. Scarce. Circus assimilis, Gray. Prosthemadera iwva-zealanduB, Gray. Anthornis melanura, Sparrm. Zosterops lateralis, Lath. Petroica macrocephala, Gml. Scarce. Gerygone flaviventris, Lath. Rhipidura fiabellifera, Gml. Platycercus nova-zealandia, Sparrm. Nestor meridionals, Gml. Scarce. Chrysococcyx lucidus, Gml. Scarce. Carpophaga nova-zealandia, Gml. Scarce. Larus dominicanus, Licht. Scarce. Procellaria lessoni, Garnot. Scarce., gouldii, Hutton., cookii, Gray. Ptiffimu gavius, Forst. Dysporus serrator, L. Graculus varius, Gml. Eudyptula minor, Forst. It is evident from an examination of this list that the avifauna is much richer on these comparatively small islands than on the adjoining mainland, where, to give only one instance, Anthornis melanura has entirely disappeared, while on these islands it is still of frequent occurrence. Of the birds at least three, namely, Procellaria gouldii and cookii and Pufinus gavius, live sociably in the holes generally dug out by t...