IN TOUCH WITH NATURE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 77, 2 April 1910, Page 13

IN TOUCH WITH NATURE.

THE GREAT NOTORNIS. HOW THE ROS"S BROTHERS FO-tTND THE FOURTH SPECIMEN. (By James Drummond, F.L.S., F.Z.S.) (All Rights Reserved.} (For The Post.) Many people run away with the idea that the notornis is as extinct as the moa and the dodo. It is one of those things thathave been given general and almost unquestioned acceptance without thought or consideration. All the circumstances surrounding the discovery of specimens of the notornis, indeed, point to the fact that, although the bird is very rare, it may make its reappearance in civilised life at any time. The first specimen was obtained in 1849 at Duck Cove, Resolution Island, by a party of sealers. The second was found two years later, in 1851, on Secretary Island, in Thompson Sound, by some Maoris. The third came from Bare patch Plains, between the Maruia and the Upokororo Rivers, on the eastern side of Lake Te Anau, in 1879, and the fourth and last was caught by Messrs. Donald and John Ross, on the shores of Lake Te Anau, in 1898. Ouly twelve years have passed since the discovery of the fourth specimen, while there is a gap of nineteen years between the discovery of the third and the fourth, and twenty-eight years between the second and the third. The discovery of a fifth specimen, therefore, is quite within the bounds of probability. This opinion is shared by Mr. Donald Ross, who now lives at Roxburgh, in Central Otago, and who has been good enough to write for this column an account of the interesting discovery made by him and his brother on the shores of Lake Te Anau. For some years previous to 1898 the two brothers had been connected with the overland tourist traffic from the head of the lake to Milford Sound, and when it was proposed that a new passenger steamer should be placed on the lake, they took an interest in the ■enterprise. At +hat time no coal was worked near the lake, and it was thovight that wood would j have to be used as fuel. In the winter previous to the starting of the service, therefore, the brothers went into camp in the Middle Fiord of the lake to cut a patch of manuka at the mouth of the Shag Burn. They camped in a small bay on the mainland, south of the Burn and opposite to the northern end of the first island group, the Bute Islands. Before setting out for the camp they knew little of the notornis or its habits. When they passed through Invercargill, however, they called on Dr. Young, who is interested in New Zealand bird-life. Native birds weie discussed, and he brought out his copy of Sir Walter Buller's "Birds," which bas a representation of a nctornis on the cover. Dr. Young related the incidents of the previous capture, and mentioned the price (100 guineas) for which the skin was sold to the Dresden Museum. Mr. Donald Ross had also seen in the Exhibition in Dunedin in 1889 a picture of a notornis, painted by Miss Wyinperis f or the Jate Dr. T. J. Parker, of Otago University. The brothers were well acquainted with most of the nates of the native birds, and when they were lying in their bunks one Sunday morning about 8 o'clock they distinguished a note they had never head before. They did not go out to look for the stranger, as they were tired after a week's hard work, but they discussed it, and came to the conclusion that it might be a Notornis. In the winter the streams are frozen and the waters of the lake become low, and in the bay in which they had camped a beach is left bet\. een the water and the bush. The shore, unlike the shores in many parts around the lake, is not precipitous. When they wished to take a walk, this beach, extending for about half a mile to the mouth of the Snag Burn, was used. On that Sunday evening, just before dark, Mr. Donald Ro&s . went for a- walk along the beach, accompanied by his brother's dog, Rough. As there were kakapes, wekas, and a few kiwis in the bush, I\lr. Ross had to hold the dog in. When they were about one hundred and fifty yards at the back of the camp the dog made a determined rush and caught a bird not more than ten yards away, under the overhanging branches of a birch tree. Dusk had fallen somewhat tqo heavily to enable Mr. Ross to see -what kind of bird had been caught, otherwise, he. also would have rushed to it. Thinking it was a w«ka, he called the dog to hring it to him. The dog obeyed, and Mr. Ross at once concluded -that another Notornifi had been found. Th© dog seldom killed a bird immediately it waa caught, and' the specimen was alive. When the brothers were discussing how they could make a cage out of a box in the, camp, tha bird's head drooped over <jn one, side. It never got back; and so died the fourth Notornis. It lived for about half an hour after ks capture. Its eyes had beeu so bright and intelligent, and it had held its head so proudly, that death seemed to <;oattfe very suddenly. The brothers, knewtbat even in death 'the Notornis is valuable, and their next step was ito get the body to civilisation. They were twenty-five males from tJws post office at the southern end of the lake. There was postal commuiiicafeian •only once a, week, the mail arriving on iSa.tur.day night, and leaving again at 6 -.o'clock on Monday morning. They decided to catch the mail south. After "tea they struck camp, put everything •into the boat, started to run down tbe .lake, and soon left behind the scene :of their discovery^ "which is now known as Notornis-^B»y. It was a starry^.f rosty night. The mountain tops were covered ~with .snow, which came halfway down, -the bush towards the lake. In the clear, cold atmosphere they made good progress, reached iho township in good "•tinie, aroused their old friend, Captain Duncan, wroteJetters, and had the body packed in a small box for the mail boy to take away and send by train from Luniiden to Dr. Young at Invercargill. They returned to their work, and remained in Notornis B3y for three weeks. When they went to the post office again 'they found that the scientific and collecting worlds were in .a state of excit» ment on account of the discovery. Dr. Young wrote to them, suggesting that the specimen should be placed under offer to the N«w Zealand Government f or £256, on condition that it was allowed to remain in the Bunedin Museum. This was agreed to, and Dr. Young asked Mr. Jennings, taxidermist at the museum, to skin and mount it, and Professor Benham to describe it scientifically. Mr Jenninqs-l'Gund that the only injury the bird had received was a broken breastbone. It was probably thet.shock resalting froji the injury that caused ita death. Mr. G. Fenwick, of Dnnedin, fold Mr. Ross that lie had seen the first two specimens in the British Museum, aud the third specimen in Dresden, and that the Dunedin specimen is much the beat preserved of the four. ''Although it was quite in accord with the ideas of my brother and myself that th* >'t)Lo?ni» bbauld reumn in tho country,'-' Mr. Ro&b adds, "I liava a. .SJtfWt-

tion to make in regard to matters of this sort on behalf of othois. Let all matters of this nature be brought under a law such as the lav/ regarding- tieasure trove in the Did! Country, under which any rare article or article of vertu found by anyone is taken by the Government, and is valued by experts, and the finder gets the full market value. Take, for example, the moa's egg found by a dredgeman near Alexandra. I have been told that when he put it in the bank for safe keeping the Government laid an embargo on it and wouldi rot allow it to be shifted, and he had to take practically what v. as offered for ii. In our case, we weie desirous that the bird should remain in the country, but we have learned from those who ought te know that another specimen of Notornis, as well preserved as ours, would, under the competition of collectors, bring £1000. There, then, is practically a present of £750 from two working men to the Museum. Though I dare say we could have done with the money as well as other people yet we made our bargain and attached a 'jondition, and we are not going to complain. How abeut the Under of tl.a moa's egg, though? Was his hand forced 1 ? What about other rare articles that may turn up? These things aie generally found by working men, aud it is only fair that they should reap the full benefit of their finds. I think you will agree that some lucq law as I suggest is necessary and would lie ocjaiLafele." As to the report that a Notornis had been seen in the Sounds district in the later months of last year, Mr. Ross says that it is quite possible that tbe report is correct. "I was len seasons at track and tourist work between Te Anau and Milford Sounds. My brother was with me far seven seasons. f>n ! y once in all that time dii we hear the call of a Notornifc. Yet scientists f-ay it v.-as a youug bird that we caught, no more than eighteen months or two years old. It must therefore have been bred while we were there. The race can hardly have died out since. The bush is such a wonderful hiding ground that you might frequently be quite close to- a Notornis and know nothing of it. The discovery of another specimen Will probably be announced suddenly some day."