IN TOUCH WITH NATURE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 38, 13 August 1910, Page 13

IN TOUCH WITH NATURE.

NOTES ON NATURAL HrSTOEY IN NEW ZEALAND. (By James Drummond, F.L.S.. F.Z.S.I I (All Rights Reserved.) (For Tho Post.) Mr. Oliver Caldwell, of Apiti, in the Wellington province, remarks very truly that there cannot be many New Zealanders who remember tho forests and the seashores as they were sixty years ago. He is one of the few, and he claims that a long life spent in this country, a great deal of it as a' surveyor, has given him an acquaintanceship with most of its birds, beasts, and fishes. His parents were the first settlers at Golden Bay, in the Nelson province. It was Massacre Bay then, and as there were only three or four Europeans there, neither the flora nor the fauna was interfered with. To a great • extent, the birds lived in peace, and the beauties of the forests were untouched. Native birds were present in their thousands. There were tuis, bell-birds, kakas, robins, crows, saddlebacks, pigeons, and others. When the rata trees were in bloom, the kakas were very plentiful. They could be seen at any time of the day, quarrelling and fighting over the red-tufted branches. Mr. CaldweU's father, who was an enthusiastic sportsman, supplied the household with different kinds of game, and Mr. Caldwell and his brothers learnt the Maoris' methods of snaring birds and catching fish. The latter were plentiful in streams and tidal rivers. Grayling i went up the rivers in shoals, and wore caught in large numbers on tiny hooks, baited with a small red worm. These fish were smoked and dried like red-herrings. The native trout were plentiful, and eels were in countless numbers. Mr. Caldwell did not make the acquaintance of the kakapo, which, apparently, was not present in the district, but he says that the kaka gave ample amusement to the settlers. He remembers that- most of the kakas he kept, especially as call-birds, were very fond of fat, and he suggests that the kaka's cousin, the kea, has been led to its wicked habit of Killing sheep by the same weakness. He believes that if plenty of mut-ton-fat was available the sheep would not be interfered with, and that if poisoned fat was laid on runs visited by keas, large numbers of the birds would be exterminated. The little grey German owls which were liberated in North Canterbury some months ago do not seem to be making much stir in that part of the Dominion. Four of them were sent to Mr. D. D. Macfurlane, of Lyndon, in the Waiau-Amuri district. He informs me that they -were all liberated on the evening of their arrival at his homestead, but, as they had been confined on board ship so long, they were not ablo to fly well. They perched very low down on the trees or rested on the ground There were many cats about the place, and, as they took a somewhat deep interest in the owls' movements, about half a dozen of them were shot. Next day two of the weakest owls were caught, and they were kept for about, a week in a part of the garden netted off for the purpose of growing small fruit. Ther& thsj soon rt? gained their strength, and when they were again liberated they were able to fly strongly. For about a month they were seen near the homestead almost every evening. One took up its abode on the roof of the house. Every evening ab dusk it flew away in search of food. Another entered a settler's honse in the Waiau township. It was caught, and was kepfc until Mr. Macfarlane had an opportunity of seeing it, and was then set at liberty. Early in May one was reported in the rafters of an outbuilding at Lyndon, and that, apparently, is the last that was seen of the owls. Of the four supplied to Mr. J. H. Davidson, three escaped on the night after their arrival frcm the netting enclosure, in which they hud been, placed, and the fourth was liberated on the following night. For about a month afterwards they were- heard at dusk, and then all trace of them was lost. They, had 100 acres ol plantations to live in, and it is net known whether they are still there, or whethey they have gone to distant plantations. Mr. J. Paltison, who travels to many parts of New Zealand, makes a practice of inquiring in rega.rd to the- position of native birds in the different- districts he visits. In tho North Island, he has made special inquiries after huias, and he states that the information he has received gives him an impression that there must be at least a few specimens of these birds in tho Tararua and Ruahine Ranges. Some time ago he met Mr. W. W. Smith, who is in charge of the Public Gardens at New Plymouth, and who 'told him that two or three years ago when he was conducting botanical studies, he camped in tho distant recesses of the Tararuas, and was fortunate enough to see a pair of huias. Later Mr. Patti&on met a gentleman who has taken up some land on tho Ruahines, not far from Mangaweka, and who stated that he could show Mr. Pattison several pairs. Referring to the white heron, Mr. Pattison .«ays that while" he was at Manaia, Mr. R. H. Donald, of that town, who is familiar with most of the native birds, told him that about eight years ago two white herons were seen near the pea-coast, about four miles north of the town, and not very far from Kaupokcnui. The birds disappeared, and have not been heard of again.