A CITY SANCTUARY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20930, 21 July 1931, Page 11

A CITY SANCTUARY.

CREATURES AT MOUNT EDEN.

BOTH FEATHER AND FUR.

THE DIVERSIONS OF HONGI. In spite of enemies, numb.ers of creatures, normally of the wild, find sanctuary in Mount Eden Domain. Now that one realentless hunter, an old black cat, is no more, the pheasants and quail seem to be on the increase. One covey of quail numbers 26, and during last hatching season a brood of seven lusty pheasants was seen. The black cab was notorious Often he returned home from the mountain with his appetite so satisfied that he could hardly jump the stone wall, but, nevertheless, immensely satisfied with his exploits, which probably numbered several fledglings. But his day carnc. Poisoned fish had been laid for rats in the quarry and poor Felix was unwise enough to succumb to its delicious odour.

Both pheasants and quail are very tame indeed, at least around some houses. Occasionally a magnificent pheasant will rest for a moment on the balcony of one home, but perhaps this is not surprising, seeing that the owner has made a drinking "spring" for the birds, which use it regularly in dry times. Hongi's Hopes.

Hongi, the dog, is always prepared to make a rush if he happens along when the birds come down to the garden, but long ago he realised that dogs cannot catch winged creatures, so his efforts now are more in the nature of 4 demonstration than anything else. He stiU cherishes the daily hope, however, that he will get one of the rabbits which live in fair numbers among the rocks. There is a place where he can approach quite near to their squatting ground. Very silently he wriggles up to a point of rock below which the bunnies sit. From there he thinks he will one day fling himself out in a great bound and catch his meat on the pad. But Brer Rabbit on sentry go is too wary. Before Hongi is within striking distance he sounds the alarm by thudding down his back legs on the ground and air the rabbits are safe in the holes in the twinkling of an eye. Hedgehog and Opossums, One evening Hongi had a new experience. He found a hedgehog in the garden. The little fellow j"made quills" afc him and he was most annoyed and not a little perplexed. The next day, however, he discovered that in one place he could grip the animal without hurt to himself and he brought his catch alive to the house. sßut he had'not been at all gentle and the hedgehog died. Just as provoking as the rabbits are the opossums, which are plentiful on Mount Eden, although Hongi did make a kill when the tree was too far away for the furry bundle, of agility. Once up a tree the opossums can travel a long way by the branchy trail and are so confident about their safe escape that they do not make off immediately, but remain to rage at Hongi. Their rat-like squealing hardly harmonises with Hongi's loud barking, but it. is not intended to do so. Fantails and white-eyes are common. It is the considered opinion or one man that -they "pass on the word" to the others. "How otherwise," he says, "can you account for the fact that none of them now flies against the glass of this wide window and kills itself as so often happened when the house was built? The same applies to the pheasants. When first the power line went up the hill a pheasant Was occasionally killed by flying against it. It is not so now. The old ones may learn from experience, but what about the young ones." Birds in the House.

Welcome guests are the white-eyes and fantails in~the house. One fellow always makes straight for the mirror and pecks vigorously at the hostile bird inside it. The duel has bnen going on for a long time and the little visitor could not feel more hate for a morepork than for his own image.One bright day a. blinking morepork had been disturbed and found himself on an exposed branch. Entirely blinded by the sun ho sat still and there he was found by a flock, of white-eyes which ap* parently knew of his disability and fluttered round him,, scolding severely. Gardening has its disappointments in this neighbourhood. It is not only vegetables that suffer. The young shoots of roses, for instance, are highly prized by the opossums, which also nip off the top's of young trees. The opossums also relish passion fruit, and Hongi's utmost vigilance cannot keep them away from the vines. The whits-eves are usually regarded as beneficial agents in a garden, and so they are, but if ore .has guavas they take their toll. One man carefully covered his bush with scrim, tying it tight to the bottom of the stem, but through one or two small holes the birds obtained entrance and fed in comfort and seclusion.