c.—6

8

On looking over the northern part there can be seen a big difference in the undergrowth. Not only has it grown well, but there are quite a number of useful species scattered about that were not noticeable two years ago. Prominent among the new undergrowth in many places is the wineberry (Aristotelia racemosa), the scarcity of which surprised me when I first looked over the sanctuary. This useful and pretty tree is now generally spread through the bush on the northern part. The fuchsia is another tree that is making great headway, not only on the hills and sidelings is it coming on, but even in the mouths of streams close to the seashore. The taupata, perhaps the best all-round tree on the island so far as food for birds and quick and hardy growth is concerned, is also showing up. Even on the western side, where goats have eaten everything they could reach, this useful tree has recovered, and has borne good crops of berries during this autumn. Other noticeable plants that were not plentiful and have spread since the goats were destroyed are the pate (Schefflera digitata), the hangehange (Geniostoma ligustrifolium), and several of the coprosmas, especially C. lucida and C. grandifolia. On some of the ridges leading to the summit young matai and miro plants are numerous. Another pleasing feature is the great number of young rata seedlings coming on in the bush. Since we have been trying to get the remaining few goats we have had to climb into places where previously there was no need to go. In some of the places visited quite a lot of shrubby kowhai can be seen on the cliffs. The grass areas are being gradually closed in by manuka, fern, and other plants. Of course, at the southern end of the island, owing to wild sheep, not much mixed undergrowth can be seen. There are, however, numbers of species growing both in the bush and on the open places that even the sheep will not eat, such as the two Olearias (Forsteri and Solandri) and the climbing white rata (Metrosideros scandens). In one place there is a patch of the latter plant, of perhaps 2 acres in extent, where this plant has assumed a shrubby form and is almost impassable. Nearly all over, or at least in places where the forest-roof is open, the Uncinia riparia is becoming a pest and is a menace to bird-life. This plant has probably been spread by goats and opossums. Not only does it hold small birds, but even the morepork is not able to extricate himself when once he is properly caught. The unfortunate part about it is that the plant is seeding, and therefore in its dangerous stage, just when the young birds are beginning to fly about. I have several times rescued birds, and in nearly every case they were adult birds, so that young birds caught must eventually die of starvation or be taken by the wekas. The season was favourable to plant-life, and there was an abundance of berries and insect-food, producing ideal conditions for bird-life. As far as my experience goes I have never seen so many young birds about. Not even in the days when the bell-bird was plentiful about the Nelson District do I remember seeing so many young ones as we have had about Rangatira during the nesting season just finished. It is indeed pleasing to report these conditions. All the species have bred well and reared their young ones. Something like sixty nests were known to us, and in all of these with the exception of ten the young birds were successfully raised. This was, I believe, largely due to the scarcity of the long-tailed cuckoo, as it is well known that this parasite takes not only the eggs but young birds as well. During the nesting season 1924, and also 1925, this cuckoo was very prominent; sometimes as many as six could be seen flying at once, most of them pursued by tuis. Another factor that has assisted to bring about improved conditions is the destruction wrought on wild cats and rats, probably the two worst enemies of our native birds. The nests that were found belonged to the following species : Tui, bell-bird, robin, tomtit, fantail, whitehead, pigeon, kaka, pipit, morepork, harrier, yellow-fronted parakeet, red-fronted parakeet, silver-eye, weka, mutton-bird, penguin, blue heron, black-backed gull, red-billed gull, and the white-fronted tern. The saddlebacks that were brought from the Hen Island weathered a fairly rough winter, and this season a pair nested and reared three young birds. Besides the pair at Kahikatea with the young ones, another pair was seen in Te Rere gully, while others were heard as far south as Maraetakaroro. Although no more young were noticed, it is quite likely that some of the other pairs had young too. A few weeks ago a black fantail was seen, and four days ago another one (perhaps the same bird) was noticed. This is probably the same bird that was seen about Rangatira last year. On the 31st October a rare penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome) was seen at the mouth of the Taepiro Stream. A few days later another was seen on the back of the island below the trig., but whether it was the same species or not I cannot say, as I had the report from the trapper. The shining cuckoo put in an appearance,on the Ist October. One was heard whistling for several days, and then disappeared, to reappear in January. The long-tailed cuckoo first appeared on the 24th October; these birds were heard all the summer up till the 25th March, when they apparently left the island. While I was away from the island, in August, Mr. K. W. Dalrymple, of Bulls, sent over to the island three grey ducks and three pukekos. The ducks were liberated at Rangatira, where they nested and reared eight young ones. They are still to be seen in the swamp that was dammed up. The pukeko were liberated at Wharekohu, and have not been seen since. The following plants were also received from Mr. Dalrymple : Para (Marattia fraxinea), grass-tree (Dracophyllum Sinclairii), mangeao (Litsaea calicaris), tanekaha (Pkyllocladus trichomanoides), akerautangi (Dodonaea viscosa), holly (Olearia ilicifolia), parataniwha (Elatostemma rugosum), willow-leaved mahoe (Melicytus lanceolatus), mountain-rimu (Dacrydium biforme), Pkyllocladus alpinus, Nothofagus Solandri, Pittosporum rigidum, Cordyline indivisa, C. australis, Hebe amplexicaulis, //. buxifolia, H. carnosula, Agathis australis, and Adiantum. formosum. Mr. Dalrymple also sent seeds of the poroporo (Solanum aviculare), kowhai (Sophora tetra.ptera), pohutukawa (Metrosideros tomentosa), ngutukaka (Clianthus puniceus), and Hibiscus trionum. Mr. R. H. D. Stidolph, of Masterton, sent me four nice plants of Todea superba and a parcel of kowhai seed. From Mrs. T. Smith, Brooklyn, I received some plants of Ourisia macrophylla and Veronica catarractae. From the Nelson Rock Garden Society one dozen plants of Celmisia coriacea