NATURE NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 100, 30 April 1938, Page 17

NATURE NOTES

N QUEST OF THE HUIA

EXPEDITIONS IN WAIRARAPA

(By R. H. D. Stidolph.)

One of New Zealand's more remarkable birds, the huia, formerly an inhabitant of the mountain ranges of the Wellington and Hawke's Bay ranges, is now, unfortunately, extinct. It is of some interest to recall that in October, 1883, the late Sir Walter Buller made a special expedition in the Waifarapa in search of this bird. At that time the country he traversed was clothed in forest and his experiences, as recorded in his note-book and published in his monumental work on New Zealand birds, provide an interesting comparison with present-day conditions. Sir Walter Buller proceeded from Wellington to Masterton by train on October 9 and at the township he met Captain Mair by appointment and forthwith made arrangements for a start on horseback the next morning at daybreak. It wai a drizzly day. "Our road," Sir Walter Buller stated, "lay through bush and along a highway which had been formed but not metalled. The mire was knee-deep for the horses and for the most part of the way it was very toilsome work. The distance to be traversed was only twenty miles, the first four of which were over a hard road; but the shades of evening were closing in around us by the time we reached our camping ground at the foot of the Patitapu range and our Maori attendant (Rahui) had barely time to fix up our tent and collect 'whariki' for bedding before thick darkness had set in. RESORT OF THE HUIA. "Our approach to this camping placa lay along the edge of a wooded ravine," Sir Waiter continued. "On the opposite side from us there was a grove of tall manuka trees, several hundred acres in extent. Rahui informed, us that this was a favourite resort of the huia when feeding on tlie weta or tree-cricket. The dull russetgreen of the manuka bush was relieved on the sides of the ravine by those ever changing, ever beautiful, light green tints so characterstic of our New Zealand woods. Here and there a shapely rewarewa reared its tapering top, spangled all over with bunches of crimson flower, while along our path were fringes of the scented pukapuka with its dark green leaves, showing their silver lining ai they yielded to the breeze, and covered with a profusion of cream-col-oured inflorescence. At intervals might be seen a leafless kowhai laden with' .a wealth of beautiful golden blossom, and in the more open. parts of the widening valley clumps of cordyline with their waving crowns of green; whilst, adding immeasurably to the charm of the whole scene, the starlike clematis, in huge white clusters, hung everywhere in graceful festoons from the tangled vegetation. Down in the bed of tlia ravine, and hiding the babbling brook, the stunted overhanging trees were for the most part clothed in a luxuriant mantle of kohia, kareao, and other epiphytic plants. A BIRD APPEARS. "Such was the spot in which we first heard the soft, whistling call of the huia," observed Sir Walter Buller. "Rahui imitated the cry and in a few moments a fine male bird came across the ravine, flying low, taking up his station for a few seconds on a dead tree and then disappearing, as if by magic, in the undergrowth below. Our guide continued to call but the huia was shy, and would only respond with a low chirping note. But this was enough and led us to where he wai engaged, apparently grubbing among the moss on the ground. We shot the bird, which proved'to be in beautiful plumage and Rahui accepted this as £a earnest of our success1 on the morrow." Sir Walter - Buller proceeded to describe the surroundings of the camp and to mention some of the birds inhabiting the forest. As the night closed in the notes of the owl could be heard in all directions. Even after darkness had set in the tui. kept up a delicious liquid song and at intervals the low whistling note of the kaka could be heard. Next morning it was decided to shift camp to the other side of the range and the route taken was along the side of another ravine. A hula soon came bounding; towards the party, as if in a desperate hurry, descended to the ground a few yards in front of them, and then went up the trunk of a postrate tree with surprising agility. IMPETUOUS WAYS. s On reaching the head of the valley, the party tethered its horses and commenced the ascent of the range, which was found very steep. About haHway down a halt was called. In response to Rahui's whistling, a huia almost tumbled on top of the party and presented itself to view at such close range that it was impossible to fire This gave Sir Walter an opportunity of watching this beautiful bird and marking its noble bearing, before he shot it. While waiting to get the bird within proper range he heard far below him the rich notes of the kokako or blue-wattled crow, repeated several times. The kokako's notes, he stated, were scarcely distinguishable from the call of the tui but were preceded by a prolonged organ-note of rare sweetness. His next shot was at an adult male huia which came dashing up with reckless impetuosity.from the wooded gully. Being anxious to obtain a perfect specimen he risked a long shot and only wounded the bird. Down it went to the ground like an arrow, with a sharp flute-note of surprise or pain and then darted off, kangaroo-fashion, covering the ground with wonderful rapidity, and disappeared in the tangle. And so the story proceeds. Even a pair of huia3 which were caressing each other with their bills fell together to ashot by one of the party, though not to Sir Walter Buller's gun. VANISHED BIRDS. Even in those days several of th« most beautiful of native birds had disappeared. Sir Walter Buller traversed a broad extent of broken, wooded country, for a distance extending 27 miles from Masterton. To say nothing of the korimako or bell-bird and pitoitoi or robin which had long since disappeared, he observed, he never saw or heard the notes of the piopio (native thrush), the. tieke (saddleback), or the hihi (stitch bird), all of which were at one time more numerous than the huit. The exact locality of Sir Walter Buller's quest was somewhere indefinite from his account but through the courtesy of Mr L. T. Daniell, of Wairere, who placed some early records at the disposal of the writer, it appears that Sir Walter Buller proceeded from Masterton up the Wangaehu Valley to Wairere. His visit to this place is recorded thus by the late Mr. John Rutherford, the original owner: Wairere was long known to the Maoris as the favourite haunt of the huia bird and in 1883 or 1884 Sir Walter Buller, accompanied by two Maori chiefs, came here to get the specimens he required for his great work on the birds of New Zealand."