SUB-ANTARCTIC FAUNA.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1843, 1 September 1913, Page 8

SUB-ANTARCTIC FAUNA.

ITS DISTINCTIVENESS

Mr. Edgar 11. Waite, director of the Canterbury Museum, who returned by the Tutanekai from his second visit to tlio Macquaries and fourth visit to the Auckland Islands, states that it is interesting to note how entirely distinct is tho fauna of the different island groups.' The Macquaries, for instance, is tho home of tho sea-elephant. Indeed, they are only found : n two places in the world—the Macquaries and Kergulen. The Macquaries, too, were tho habitat of the sea-lion, and in a lesser degrc'o for the sea-leopard, which was really an Antarctic animal, and solitary in its habit. They are nomads, and turn up anywhere. At the Macquaries the penguiu flourished, the king, royal, and rock-hopper pengins all bred there and nowliero else. Tho nellje petrel and skua hawk were also native to tho Macquaries, but tho albatrosses vpured tlio other groups for the breeding. Neither the. wandering, royal ; _ or sooty albatross bred at the Macquaries.

Tho Auckland Islands had its own distinct fauna, sucli as tlio Auckland Island snipo, parakeet, pipit, flightless duck, southern maganza. (one of tho sawbills, and the onlv representative of the genus in tho Southern Hemisphere).. Tho crested penguin was also peculiar to tho group. Here, too, both tho fur and hair seals wero to bo found (but never on the Mncquaries). Tho Campbells wero barren and treeless, and had a much poorer fauna than the Aucklands. but oven here the group had its specialties in being the breeding homo of the royal albatross and tho hair and fur seals.