MUTTON-BIRDING.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17750, 30 April 1923, Page 6

MUTTON-BIRDING.

MAORI METHODS OF CAPTURE. The titi or mutton-bird .season'promises to provide a splendid harvest this year—the birds being in prime condition, plump and heavy, reports Messrt Cecil Hazlett and Jules Tapper, who are at present cruising in Stewart Island waters.'- Lasi season, ,it will ,be remembered, the mutton birds were in very poor condition, thousands upon thousands of, the young birds dying owing l to starvation. \The Maoris state that this-season's birds'are as good, or even better than has been th 6 case lor hiany seasons past. Some of the parties, although late in getting on their respective' islands, have already obtained *a large tally of birds. . Messrs Hazlett ,and Tapper report that on' places visited last season, where the tui was in hundreds, not one is to be seen this year,. > This is also the case' with the kaka and kuku (pigeon). But, on the other hand, the smalles bush birds are more plentiful, such as the fantail, tomtit, robin, and mako-mako, while the imported finches' are also numerous. The inquisitive weka is also one of the.first cf the feathered tribe to make his appearance. ; On the 3rd of next month torching, operations take place. This method of"capturing the titi accounts for more birds than does the' operation of digging them out of their holes. With torches, the Maqriß go out at night and in the early hours of .the morning, and then find the titi out of their burrows exercising their wings and limbs preparatory to their long migratory flight to other lands.. Thin method would be, good practice for a football team, as it is one great scramble in the darkness to catch the birds,' with many a trip and a slip over the logs, bogs, and vire'epers. Two 45minute spells at football would be much easier than a night's torching. The orthodox Maori method, when once the titi is captured, is to place the bird under his -arm, so as'to ston the vigorous flapping of its wings, tfien to seize the crown of its head with his teeth and crush it, after which the titi "takes the count." On many occasions the titi gets in first with its powerful beak, and many a 3laori comes out of the combat minus a piece of skin from his nose or face. The numerous islands have always well defined tracks cut and cleared in all directions, and the birds, .in bundles or six or a dozen when killed, are placed on the tracks, from where they are collected and brought tn the plucking whares, where thev nnderoro manv handlings, to be placed finallv in kelp bags and kits in the form best known to purchasers in the city. During a nights' torching many mistakes take place, such as encircling one's arm around a plumn old J* nB ! , " n —a Peck from whose bill in the darkness soon reminds one > that ne has captured something in the shape of a mca.