and pugnacious and may easily be caught by hand.

Usually, when disturbed, they will pop under a rock, and on being seized
immediately commence to squeak. This is sufficient to bring every weka
within a quarter of a mile hurrying to the spot, and, in a few minutes,
heads may be seen poking out of the grass in every direction. The man
holding the bird then crouches down, preferably just on the border of
the tussock, holding the protesting bird in one hand. Soon there will be
a rustle, then a rush, and another furious weka will attack the decoy.
The newcomer is grabbed and, if the birds are plentiful, five or six of
them may be taken in one spot.

Their call is peculiarly plaintive and wild and may be heard night and
day. Though we saw and caught innumerable young ones of all sizes, we
were never able to find the nests of these Maori hens.

A depot of stores had been laid by the 'Aurora' at Caroline Cove, twenty
miles from the Shack at the south end of the island, and it was deemed
advisable to lay several more intermediate food-depots along the east
coast.

The sealers had a motor-launch which they kindly placed at our disposal,
and a supply of stores was put on board for transport. At 8 A.M.,
January 9, Sandell, Blake, Sawyer and Hamilton started out accompanied
by two sealers who offered to point out the positions of several old
huts along the coast. These huts had been built by sealing gangs many
years ago and were in a sad state of disrepair.

The first call was made at Sandy Bay, about five miles from the Shack.
Stores were landed and placed in the hut, and the party proceeded to
Lusitania Bay, eleven miles farther on, where they stayed for the night.
At this place (named after an old sealing craft, the 'Lusitania') there
were two huts, one being a work-hut and the other a living-hut. They had
not been used for sixteen years and, as a result, were found to be much
dilapidated. In the locality is a large King penguin rookery, the only
one on the island, and two dozen eggs were obtained on this visit, some
fresh and some otherwise.

As the next morning was squally, it was decided that the stores should
be deposited in the hut at the south end; a distance of five miles
across country. Through bog and tussock it took the party four hours to
accomplish this journey. The hut was found in the same condition as the
others and a rather miserable night was spent. A short distance from
this spot is situated the largest