The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1903 PENINSULA BIRDS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LIII, Issue 2804, 8 September 1903, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1903 PENINSULA BIRDS.

Mr Ell certainly deserves the thanks of all lovers of the native Fauna of New Zealand for the efforts he has made to get our native birds protected. The Bill which has been passed through Parliament does not, by any moans include the whole of the Peninsula native birds ; but it is only the egg collectors and those who are exceedingly interested in our feathered residents that know the distinctions between the smaller residents of our native bush.

We are afraid, however, the Bill will be a dead letter, unless it is more strictly enforced than at present. Native birds tbat were protected had a hard time here, and always will till more efficacious steps are taken to prevent their destruction. For instance, a pair of wild pigeons reared a brood last summer, not a hundred miles from Akaroa. in a place where none had been seen for years. No sooner was their whereabouts ascertained than plans were laid for their destruction. No word has reached us to the effect that the birds have fallen victims to their persecutors, and we sincerely hope this has not been the case; but when

one remonstrates with anyone in cases !of the kind, the answer you receive is ; " It is no good for me to promise not to shoot them, for there are dozens of others who will do so the first chance they get, and I may as well have them as anyone else." We are afraid that this is quite true, and that any eatable bird, however rare, or however protected, has a very poor chance in tho secluded and isolated patches of bush that stud the Peninsula. The kaka is always making an effort to again colon - ise the Peninsula ; but invariably falls a victim to the keen eye and omniverous gun of the so-called Peninsula sportsman. Nearly every year one hears of a pair being seen somewhere ; then one disappears, and a solitary distracted bird, family ties having been ruptured and no pleasure left in life, screams from bush to bush till the deadly tube vomits its hail, and another ' tragedy is completed. Nothing wearing feathers is sacred to some of these people who seem to revel in the mere destruction of bird life, Avithout any object to serve, but causing pain and misery.

The other day, we are told, a friendly morepork, who came to help a settler by destroying the rats and mice that were about his dwelling, unfortunately showed himself, betraying his presence by his musical note. Theimmediate result was that the settler rushed into his house, brought out the everlasting and remorseless gun, and shot the social and useful bird stone dead. The worst of it all is, that this goes on just the same during the breeding season, when many father and mother birds fall victims, and their wretched progeny starve to death for want of their loving care. Some birds there are that can hold their own, and notably amongst these is the Weka or Maori Hen. Luckily, for itself, it is not very good eating, its oily body having a peculiarly "mousey" flavour, objectionable to Europeans, This bird, though unable to fly, and so exceedingly familar, that it will enter tents or bush whares, either to search for food or ornaments, or from pure curiosity is so smart that it generally evades capture, especially in scrub or bush land, or any rough country. In the clear tussock, it has a stupid habit, if chased, of hiding itself in a big tussock, thinking ostrich like, that if it cannot see its pursuers, it cannot be seen itself. The bird will not stir, if once, what it considers securely hidden, and the hunter has only to feel about in the tussocks to secure its prey. No doubt, this habit survives from the time, when the Weka had only the hawks to fear, and found this a sure method of securing its safety. Some 24 years ago, the Wekas were plentiful all over the Peninsula, and then in some mysterious manner, they must have unanimously decided to seek some other home, for they suddenly and mysteriously altogether disappeared. Where they went, why they went, and what they did during their absence, will never be known to any human being, but it is certain that some of them must have retained pleasant memories of the Peninsula and imparted them to their descendants, for a few years ago scattered parties of them in different parts of the county, and they are now again well distributed. The Weka is by no means an unmixed blessing to the farmer, for it is fond of taking up its residence in the neighbourhood of the poultry yard, where it finds the hens nests with much greater facility than the ordinary farmer's child, and feasts upon the eggs with the greatest relish, as they seem to be his favourite | fare. He also shares with the ladies.

the bower birds of Australia, and the magpie, Jackdaw and raven, an intense love of glittering. A bright pannakin, a tin spoon, suclt as Mr Cross used to vend on tee Peninsula, in the old days, or a silver one either for the matter of that—a brooch, ring, et hoc (jemtß omne are to him things to be adored—and stolen. Carryiiig, them, carAfully to his se'clucjed'haunts, where lie x\o doubt gazes 'upon then. t with ( the same feeling of ecfiijacy that a miser does upon his gold.

Space, however, prevents us from rambling on any further, and as it is, we must ask our readers to excuse our garrulity for the sake of the object sought. We purpose writing a series of these articles on the subject of Peninsula birds in the hope of interesting residents to secure their perpetuation and stopping the present ruthless slaughter. 116w that is to be done is a difficult question to .answer'; but the more it is written and talked about the more, likely is it to become a riddle to be solve;!. We trust that it may be our pleasant duty, in the near future, to record that some more effective preservation of our exceedingly beautiful and interesting Peninsula native birds has been devised.