BIRDS FOR KAPITI.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 61, 5 December 1907, Page 6

BIRDS FOR KAPITI.

INTERVIEW WITH DR. COCKAYNE. Ton flightless ducks, ten Auckland Island parakeets, and ten Antipodes Island parakoets are tho spoil which Dr. L. Cockayne has brought, from the. southern islands. He had also some snipe, black robins, and fern birds front tho Snares, most of which were caught by Captain Dorrien Smith, who had to run among the tussocks, ' rush over penquin rookeries, and stumble over sea lions in the pursuit. Unhappily,"the fern birds and black robins ' died. For the. snipe Dr. Cockayne built'a small run, fenced with wire-netting, near the Auckland Islands camp,- but though they did very well for a time, and kopt tho doctor busy for about two hours daily digging worms for them, a vory cold snap came on, and as the snipe livo mostly under the tussocks, they succumbed in their new, Icss'sheltered quarters. The 'birds which Dr. Cockayne has succeededin bringing'with him arc ill splendid condition. On 110 previous occasion lias so largo a 'humber of these birds been brought so far from their native haunts. ' The Antipodes Island parakoot occupies a smaller area than any other bird on . tho earth, and is therefore perhaps tho rarest bird in the world. Bringing those birds so far has taught the doctor something of their habits. Though : the parakeets are" extrornely tame,: they bite oiie'' .pretty :woll '-co the bone when thoy .aro being moved irom one. cage :: tb another. : The flightless duck,' though this was' quito ■ unknown before," is' a perchmg bird, and, as theso .creatures fouelit inost desperately, it .was orily : by 'taking.-to' a percii 'that one 'bird could' ijscapo tho at; tacks of •another' iii a 'cage. : : 'Dr;' Cockayne states that 'Kapiti 'Island'.is even ' suited for. the ducks than lie oxpcctod, because it has rivers running into the sea jt places where there is calm water, and these aro exactly tho conditions of those birds' native home at tho Auckland Islands. Dr. Cockayne will take his birds to Kapiti by the Queen of the South to-day.