KEEN BIDDING FOR CASE OF BIRDS

Evening Star, Issue 23817, 22 February 1941, Page 8

KEEN BIDDING FOR CASE OF BIRDS

o , PAIR OF HUIA INCLUDED Twelve pounds was paid by a Waurrnnui col loci or for a case ul stalled native birds sold at a recent auction sale. The buyer was a Maori. Surprise showed on the faces of I hose in the auction room as the bids piled up, one Hie most surprised being (lie auctioneer, who, like the others, jailed to sec why a case of mounted birds should reach such a figure. Hut there wore several in the room who understood, and competition among them was keen. The case of birds was finally knocked down to the Maori, and lie was obviously pleased with his purchase. In the collection of New Zealand birds was a pair of extinct hnia—male and female. The Maori said he would gladly have paid £l2 for only one of the birds. The huia is behoved to have been extinct for many years, although there have been unsubstantiated reports of the species having been seen in remote bush areas. The huia was prized hy the Maori for its tail feathers, also for food, while the long curved beak of the male bird was also valued as an ornament r lhe Wanganui Museum has a pan ol huia in its native bird spot ion In normal times an overseas museum would hr' likely i.o ’ otter a huge sum for such an ex hi liit.