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house. Stitch-birds have also been seen in fair numbers in various parts of the island, and are most certainly on the increase, as many as a dozen females and young ones being noticed in one morning on the mountain-tracks. The rifleman, the smallest of the New Zealand birds, has also been seen several times in different places during the year. The long-tailed cuckoo (koheperoa) has also been very much in evidence, and so far as this island is concerned they are on the increase (possibly due to the preservation of the small birds), their harsh discordant screech being very frequently heard in the bush near the house, so much so that we were quite relieved when in the middle of March they took their departure. The koheperoa is a born thief and an arrant coward, flying from the attack of any small birds whose nests he may have harried. We have even seen one flying with a fantail holding on to his tail, the cuckoo screaming lustily the while. I have also seen him flying across the lawn with a newly hatched bird in his beak, and I am afraid this undesirable migrant makes life somewhat burdensome for the smaller birds, as most of his depredations are committed at night. " Photographs. —l am sending you some photos of the pied shags. There are two colonies of these birds on the island, and since we have been here they have considerably increased, and are also very tame. It is very interesting to watch their habits at breeding-time, and although a shag in a trout-stream is most certainly out of place, on the shores of the ocean, where they have lived from time immemorial, he can do no possible harm. His food consists of small rock-fish of no commercial value, and it is wanton cruelty to destroy the shag, as he has as much right to exist as any other creature. I also enclose a photo of the young of the grey-faced petrel (gouldii) sitting in front of his burrow. These birds are very numerous. Perhaps it is not generally known that the tuatara is found here; but one night we lit a fire on a grassy slope by the western landing, and one of these quaint little reptiles was either attracted by it or was in some brushwood that was carried for the fire. Wo caught him and kept him for several days, photographed him, and then released him in the same locality in which we found him. He was a very fine specimen, measuring 23 in. in length. This is the only one that we have seen on the island, but we have heard from the Natives that there were tuataras here: they have been bitten by them when searching for muttonbirds." Resolution Island. From the reports received from the Caretaker, it would appear that there has been a satisfactory increase in the bird-life on Resolution Island. A report, I notice, has been circulated that ferrets have been found on the island. Had this been the case the Caretaker would undoubtedly have reported the matter. In the absence of such report I think lam safe in saying that the storyis without foundation. On the mainland near the island, notwithstanding the presence of ferrets, weasels, and cats, the weka and roas appear to be holding their own very well, but the kakapo is becoming ijewer in number. I append some interesting extracts from the reports received from the Caretaker of Resolution Island. " Apteryx australis, as I must call them now, are doing well on Resolution and on all the islands where I put them. They are also holding their own on the mainland around Dusky Sound. I only put out one pair on an island this year. Kakapos are doing well in their favourite places on Resolution mainland. I brought a couple now and then when I saw a place to put them, for they are very particular about where they live. Kiwi, or Apteryx oweni, are to be heard at night on many of the steepest coasts of Resolution. I think they are holding their own. Wekas are doing well everywhere, and are plentiful. The small native birds are gradually getting less in all this district." Small Birds and Kakapos. " Natives competing with the imported. "It is very difficult to see the blackbirds eating anything, they are so shy. Here on Pigeon Island they will not let me look at them for half a second at a time, but flit into the bush the instant they see me. I have never seen them eating anything, although I know they eat berries and worms. The thrushes are a little tamer, for I often saw them pulling out the worms, and a few years ago when I first noticed them I saw two of them sucking the honey out of the rata-flowers, and reported it at that time. This last winter (1906) there were scores of blackbirds and thrushes about the house, and, though I often tried, I shot only one blackbird, and perhaps half a dozen thrushes. They annoyed me by pulling up the grass for worms. They destroyed the little plots of grass that were distant from the house, and must have been starving when they got over their shyness sufficiently to come up to the door. Yet in August, when the Panax arboreum came out in blossom, both the blackbirds and thrushes disappeared, and soon afterwards the blackbirds began to sing, which was evidence that they sucked the honey as well as the thrushes and sparrows. Then a few tuis and mokos came, and kakas, and as they were noways shy they would cling to the bunches of flowers within 10 ft. of the window. The ttii would hunt away the moko, and the kaka would drive away the tui, and thus they would go over the same branches several times on a calm morning. It seemed'as if it was the only'honey they could get: that the blackbirds and thrushes had been, beforehand with them at the flowers in the bush. There are not many flowers yet. " Starvation periods occur with all wild animals that I am acquainted with, as if to weed out the inferiors, and then seasons of plenty, as if to give the survivors a good start again. This has been such a season, but Ido not think it starved out any blackbirds or thrushes. They could dig worms in the meantime, and then be all ready to take the greater part of the food when it came. That is evidently one reason why the native birds are disappearing, for the honey was a very important part of their food. When the honey failed them in any particular district they used to