THE WOOD-HEN.

Northern Advocate, 1 December 1921, Page 2

THE WOOD-HEN.

BIRD THAT BECOMES RARE,

Among the growing list of native birds that are gradually becoming scarcer ,or which are being driven back to remote localities by the advance of civilisation, writes a correspondent, is tho weka or wood-hen. This lively bird not ;so very many years ago could be found in the bush gullies in the vicinity of Wellington, says the " Dominion,' ' but now its long, mournful cry of "More wet!" is never heard.

The full-grown bird is such a pugnacious chap that the weasel or ferret theory may be discounted right off, though doubtless these bloodthirsty little animals have taken heavy toll of the young chicks and of eggs as well. In the old days the weka was quite a feature of every bush camp, and the 'presence of these birds added a great deal of charm and interest to life in the forest. Curiosity, which, as the old paving has it, "killed the cat," may have something to do, also with, the disappearance of the weka, fpr this characteristic is a very strong feature of the bird. Anything bright or shining left about' a bush camp in the oln days was pretty sure to disappear, articles of this description proving absolutely irresistible to a wood-hen. On one- occasion a small piece of lookingglass was off from the front of the tent, while empty tins were picked up and subjected to a close examination. The birds prowled about a bush camp just as the ordinary dom'-stie fowl docs about a backyard, and would riot hesitate to enter the tents and burgle one's belongings. The long, mournful cry of the weka was gen"ralIy supposed to indicate the near approach of rain; and certainly the birds appeared to be much more noisy when a change of weather happened to !>•:; impending. The cry of the wood-hen ■at a little distance sounds long-drawn and shrill, but when close at hand it commences with a dull, booming note, like the beating of a muffled drum, ending with the familiar "More wet."

A hollow log is chosen as a rule for a nesting-place, and the bird will always show fight if disturbed when sitting on itu eggs. In the scrub country north of Auckland the wood-hen is still f-m-'ly plentiful, but in most localities it set ms to have almost disappeared.