BOOKS OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2126, 18 April 1914, Page 9

BOOKS OF THE DAY.

. BIRDS OF THE FAR SOUTH. Mr.. H. Guthrio-Smith, a Hawke's Bay pastoralisfc, wlibso hobby is ornithology, and whoso earlier published work, "Birds of . tho Water, Wood, and Wjisto," will..be..remembered, by many of my readers as a series of delightful studies, of'bird-lifo, has now given that work, a very notable succossor in.'his "Mutton ; Birds■ and Other. Birds" (Whitcomb©and,Tombs}. Ho ha3.,devoted- the 'major part of tho volumo to describing tho bird-life of a part'of ono of tho great natural sanctuaries of New Zealand, Stewart Island, where ho spent tho suinmef and,spring of. 1911. In a modest but interesting preface, the author claims that "Back to the Wilds" is what will bring to each who makes the trial tho happiness that "brings no later regrets, from which all troubles will be .forgotten, and which, unliko any other portion.of our lives," will leave the memory only "of its pleasures behind. . . It 'is hearing and sight—the most anciejit senses iu the frame of man, that giv,o in their exerciso the fullest joy, unci to listen and watch are more than to think." ....*.'■

It is to watch aud study from the most intimate point of view possible- to nan, tho actual everyday life of wild 'birds that 'Mr. Guthric-Smith devotes so much time, aud, assuredly,' if the author, has had as keen and unfeigned «, pleasuro in making the observations of. which his latest book is tho concrete outcome, as must have everyone who .peruses the fascinating narratives contained in- tho volume, ho must, indeed, havo been well repaid for the manifold discomforts which ho experienced, aud which he describes with, such unfailing good nature and humour. In an introductory chapter, headed "Sanctuaries," tho author, referring to the southern islands, pleads for the extinction of the pastoral leases under which "these ideal sanctuaries for tho preservation of threatened and rare species of birds" are at present held. What he.says on this point is too long to be quoted here.. "It is," he concludes, "only tho consensus of opinion of a society yet lacking in Now Zealand—a society for. the protection of native birds and native plant's in such parts of the Dominion as are otherwise worthless—that -can carry weight." One of the author's favourite camping places or observation centres was at Herekopero, or, as it is often called, To Marama, one of the many islets that dot the ocean east of Stewart Island. Here Mr. • Guthric-Smith and his assistants got four kinds : 'of petrol in their burmutton bird, parara, tito wainui, and the kuaka. Of the first arrival of the kuaku, tho author gives a .vtry.'interesting account:

"About seyeu the earliest of tho ;" kuaka- began to arrive; at first here a bird, and there a bird; then almost at once it began to hail kuaka, then, to sleet kuaka, and, lastly, to snow kuaka.- They rea.chthe island in,dozens, scores, hun'dreds, thousands, hundreds of thoueands, aud, Ilvcrilvr believe, perhaps in millions. At itrst'they hurtled themsolves in like, hailstenos, then, . later, fell with sbmo degrco of regard to 'their' safety, and, lastly, lit softly as snowj and-with hardly a custle. Although standing in a conspicuous spot.oil a riso in open ground, and guarding my liead and face, I was struck by kiiaka eight limes in "a fow minutes. They were dropping thickly into tho vines and nettles, the i'oliosa grass,- the soft bare ground, , and/ inland, and a littjo behind.mr,-falling like ripe fruit branches of the s6rub. They'wero thumping, too, on the wharo roof. The kuaka never circles "or hesitates;, but always flies very fast and straight in from tho sta,but tho final drop is vertical, or . liot a pane-'of glass iu' tho whare windows could havo remained intact. Although, well, acquainted with the albatross, the. author thinks the mutton bird's night flight-is almost a.liner display of volant poner. After making giant .loop's of. flight, tho birds almost touched tho earth, over the mouth of ihe; breeding .burrow.; but tho speed at w])iqh the point of attraction was passed 'at first. hardly a hint"of any desiro to land. "Then," says tho author, "after, many revolutions there camo a time when a certain retardation of pace could.be marked, and. when the faintest hesitant wing flicker, tho merest tremor of tho extreme tips of the primaries could be observed.-, Still later, and always just over the burrow, this tremor becatno a. poise—a poise interpolated for an instant in tho bird's yet swift, unwavering flight, and without apparent check to the speed of the skyward climb, a miracle of balanced flight. At last, the bird would drop with a plump through scrub, or rustle with a run into tangles of vine." By eight.or nine o'clock on the day of tlio great arrival, "the air was girgetl'witli'souud, as when bees swarm or lambs bleat in thousands together. '.'Each species was calling its own call, and- singing its own song'. The predominant sounds seemed to mo to be 'Ku-ku-kia," endlessly repeated, and a long-drawn 'Koe-koe-ae-00-0,, with something of a wail ■ in. it. I feel sure, however, there was no sadness that night among ihe petrels; Tho island was like a fair, the eager arrivals running hither rind thither inspecting, rejecting, visiting, courting, and chanting their subterrauean lyrics. .. This ceaseless eagerness and i'ever- . isji activity reminded mo of nothing so mucli as when, whilst I havo been angiing, a sudden patch of fly ■ has occurred, in which tho males outnumber the females by a thousand to OTIC."

The trouble and actual discomfort cheerfully submitted-to by tho author in order to obtain jntimato and accurate information as to bird-habits, were such as would have deterred a. less enthusiastic observer. For hour after hour tho author would wait with his carefully-hidden camera for the right , moment to press tlio button and secure a pic.tmo of the all-unconscious object. Specially interesting is Mr. ' GuthrieSinith's account of how'he photographed the South Island robin feeding his young. Many readers, however, will turn with greater curiosity to the author's description of the hqme-lifo of that- qaint little bird the kiwi. The photographs to tho "kiwi" chapter are particularly fascinatiiiij;, showing, as they do, three pretty little creatures at home in their "lodges" nnd burrows, in tho making of which the birds display fin instructive ingenuity as marvellous us thoir.untiring industry. Practically tho' whoio of ono month was devoted by tho author to studying tho habits of these quaint little birds. ' I must- pass over, albeit with much ro.duotanco, to tho chapters on the knka. the fernbirrls of ftakiahua nnd Mason Bay, tho rifloman, and that excellent mimic, tho hell bird., and turn to what Mr. Guthrie-Smith has to say on .the'- much-abused weka, for which the.author says r> good word. lie admits that "no bird boars-a more guilty conscience," but he has one...at least, virtue. Tic is ths deadly

enemy of tho rat, and with rats these southern islands aro simply over-run. "I have seen " our camp wekas hunting a grown rat through tus- , sock and tanglo fern; and 1 beliove it is a fact that in parts whero tho weka. is plentiful camps aro kept more, frco of vermin by this bird than by cats or dogs. Tho curious little bundle*.often found in tho wilds—furinsido and skin outside— is tho last stage of a rat taken by a weka. As-a dog acts when wrenching; meat from a bone, the vroka places his foot on his prey and. finally skins tho eorpso as a footballer "skills" his jersied mate." In almost the final chapter, tho author gives an interesting and, incidentall}-, most amusing study of tho shag. The shag specially favours as a rookery a more rock of an islet, named Kane-te-toe, (about eight miles from HalfMoon Bay. Twice .Mr. Guthrie-Smith visited this island, and tho photographs ho secured aro amongst the most curious and interesting in his book —which , is saying not a little! Kane-te-toe tho author describes as a bird Alsatia, wholly given up to thieving, whore might is right, and where only present possession is respected. Tho author's description of the breeding-grounds of tho shags, their manner of feeding their chicks, tlioir superlative disregard of tho commonest bird honesty, and the squabbles and downright fights which result from their disregard of the difference 'twixt. meum and tuum, is simply riotously funny. Well may the author call tho shag rookery on Kaue-te-too a "community of thieves." But I must reluctantly bring. my no'tico to a closo. Tho book is ono which will not only interest a serious student of ornithology, but will, I feel sure, appeal successfully to the general reader. As Mr. Guthrio-Smith rightly observes, there is often an astonishing resemblance between bird-lifo and human life, and the shrowd and humorous asides of the author on this subject aro vastly entertaining. The illustrations, over seventy in number, constitute a. very important feature of the work. Reproduced, some in photogravure, others in half-tone, from photographs taken by tho author, they are all full-page pictures, many of them being of exceptional beauty. The typography and get-up generally of the book, do credit to the enterprise and good taste of the publishers. Needless to say, no library, private or public, wcrth calling a library, should bo' without a copy of a work of such exceptional intoreat and value.

A COLLECTOR AND HIS HOBBIES. Siv James Yoxall, M.P., is an assiduous "collector" whose tastes aro delightfully eclectic; and who writes upon his hobbies in a light and entertaining, style, whiloctnveying at the. same time much interesting and.valuable information on the subject with which he deals. A few year sago he published a volume entitled "TheA.B.C. of Collecting," which is now succeeded by another work of somewha.t..fciniilar...character;- "Morn About '-'Paul and Co.). It is aii excellent thing to have a hobby of •' -some sort, and at one period nr other in - life most of us get stricken by tho collecting mania. Some of us begin with postago stamps, and stop there. To others, in later life, there comes au l irresistible desiro to amass old prints and engravings. The special pleasuro of a certain Christchurch friend of mine is to get together as many curious old snuff-boxes, seals, and signet rings as ho can. Old china is sought after by quite a numbor of Wellingtoiiians. A busy Civil Servant of my acquaintance devotes all his spare time to collecting rare beetles ami various other creeping ' things; "Liber," himself, has | for years been spending much leisure] time, aud not a little sparp cash, in col- J lectins . anything • and everything, in print and picture, which has veferenco to.tho works and personality of Charles Dickens. As for collectors of old Maori curios, thoir name is, relatively speaking, legion. I met a gentleman the other day whose amiable hobby is to collect theatro programmes, and have been assured of his undying regard by presenting him- with an old- Theatre Bovalbill (with Hoskins and Ada Colvjllo in the.cast) of the earlier eighties. Many of tho objects which are specially prized and so fully described by Sir James Yoxall , are,! am afraid, introuvables, so far as New Zealand is concorned,'but it is surprising, if one only "noses about," as au old china collecting friend puts it, in the- pawnbrokers' and second-hand shops of tho larger centres, how many good finds can be secured. Sir James Yoxall , s chapters will make a colonial , collector's eyes "bug right open," as American slang has it. lam afraid, too, that a. perusal of his entertaining chapters may tend to breaches of the Tenth Commandment, for he tells of so ; many curious articles of "bigotry and'virtue" which he has brought to light and secured for his collection, articles which, alas, the Now Zealand collector would, I am afraid, never find ill this country, were he to search for'them for a good half century. Sir James is spoeitlly interesting in his gossip on old furniture, pictures aud miniatures, on earthenware class and porcelain. With the chapters on books, prints, aud autographs, I confess to some little disappointment, for the information given is rather scrappy and of doubtful accuracy—so far, at least, as books are concerned. But it is astonishing what a wealth o.f curious and interesting, and, in its own way, valuably instructive mfornmtiop may lie Kot out of his book. The illustrations, which aro very numerous, constitute a very attractive feature of a volume which makes uncommonly good reading, and is quite remarkably cheap at its price of fivo shillings. To English readers tho book should provo specially useful for the many warnings' it contains against facsimiles and forgeries. Alas, in Now Zealand, wr rarely koo even the forgeries, although some fnur or fivn years nan a largo numbni of forpprl Mnrl'ncls. Honpners and other rare and vnlunblo prints were on salo :n a certain auction room.