NATURE NOTES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21462, 8 April 1933, Page 1 (Supplement)

NATURE NOTES

BY J. DRUMMOND, F.L.S., IT.Z.S

ON THE RUAHINES

Having lived the greater part of her life in the foothills of the wild Ruahine Ranges, Wellington Province, Miss Mary A. Caldwell, who writes from Kaikohe, on Lake Omapere, often went up into the mountains near Umutoi, attracted mainly by native birds that lodge in the forests. She reports that tuis, fantails, tomtits and grey warblers are plentiful. There are fairly large numbers of wood-pigeons in places. In the season, shining cuckoos and long-tailed cuckoos live in the spreading branches, lay their olivegreen eggs and search for nests they builded -not. Kingfishers display their brilliant apparel near the Oroua and Pohangina Rivers.

Bellbirds are coming into greater evidence in a totara reserve on the Pohangina. In the first week of January Miss Caldwell saw several bellbirds there, and she heard them often. Boys of the family with whom she stayed told her that the little green parrakeet sometimes was seen further back in the ranges. Lower down, at Aokautere, about eleven miles from Palmerston North, tuis and bellbirds may be heard in the early morning and in fewer numbers at intervals during the day.

It is significant to note that the huia is not on Miss Caldwell's; list. The Ruahines were one of the favourite homes of the huia sixty years ago. Members of this singular species seldom left the Ruahine, Tararua and Rimutaka Ranges or the wooded valleys, but occasionally they were seen in rough country west of the Ruahines and in beech forests in the Wairarapa Valley. Sir Walter Buller looked for huias in the Ruahines sixty-six years ago. Accompanied by a friend and two Maoris, he walked for almost twenty miles through densely wooded country. They climbed a steep slope and stopped to dig up the strange vegetable caterpillars, which were plentiful. While they were doing this they heard in a wooded gully far beneath them soft flute notes. One of the Maoris at once imitated the notes. A few seconds later the strangers were thrilled by the sudden appearance of a beautiful pair of huias, male and female.

They briefly looked at the strangers and then started up the side of the hill, often hopping along the ground, the male usually leading. Waiting until the huias were in line, Sir Walter Buller's friend raised his gun and pulled the trigger. The percussion cap snapped and the huias disappeared in the gully. Down the mountain side and up the ravines, the chase was continued for three miles. The cap snapped again and those huias escaped completely. The party camped for the night in a deep ravine, covered with forest. At dawn they heard a huia's notes. It freely answered an imitation of the notes, but did not come near. The party crossed to the opposite side of the ravine and climbed to a clump of red-pine trees. The huia, a male, was on a high branch, which it chiselled with its strong, stout, sharp, conical ivory bill, tearing off large pieces of bark, apparently in search of insects. The falling pieces guided the party to the place and caused the huia's death. It fell at the first shot. This solitary huia was an old male, which. Maori's stated, had frequented that part of the forest for years, its notes being familiar to travellers along a track that led to Taupo.

On another occasion, with Captain R. Mair, Sir Walter Buller saw a huia coming toward thejn, bounding through the shrubs as if in a desperate hurry. Descending to the ground a few yards in front of them it hopped along and then walked a prostrate tree trunk. It took alarm when Captain Mair's gun missed fire, and it disappeared and would not be recalled. Compunction and pity held Sir Walter's hand when a young male huia came near him with an inquisitive air. He was les.s scrupulous when he allowed a Maori to snare this bird. The Maori found a long stick, made a noose at one end, and slipped the noose over the huia's head. It jumped through the loop, but was caught by the feet. On realising its position it made no sound, but attacked Sir Walter's hands with its bill, striking fiercely and repeatedly at a white-faced signet ring.

About seventy years ago a Maori came down from the Ruahines with a pair of live huias, carrying them on horseback for more than fifty miles. He refused Sir Walter Buller's offer to buy them for a sum of money, but a piece of valuable greenstone induced him to give the birds to Sir Walter, who kept them in captivity in Wellington for more than a year, waiting for an opportunity to send them to tho Zoological Society in London; but the male, through a servant's carelessness, was killed, and the female, showing great distress, pined and died ten days later. A few days after they were taken from the forest they were very tame. They did not seem to feel tho restraint of prison life. Their prison was a room 6ft. by Bft. At first they accepted no food except large, fat huhu grubs.

Gradually and with patience they were induced to eat cooked potatoes, boiled rice and raw meat minced fine. They often drank from a dish of fresh water, but seldom bathed. Their usual note was a whistle, soft and clear, prolonged at first, then short and repeated quickly, both joining in. When hungry or excited they raised tho whistling note, to a high pitch. At other times it was softly modulated and had variations, or it was changed-into a low clucking sound. Their notes sometimes closely resembled the whining of young puppies.

A live female liuia reached the London Zoo. It was kept in the parrothouse. It seemed to be contented and happy, and readily took a mixed diet, in which boiled eggs, fresh meat and earth-worms were the chief items. Tt did not live long in its new home. The change from the sunlit forests and gentle breezes on the Ruahines to London's notorious fogs may not have been to its liking. It died in a greatly emaciated condition, without any organic disease. Some of the early historical huias were taken in the Rimutakas. Seventy-eight years ago Sir Walter Btiller obtained his first liuia from thn Wainuiomata Hills, north of Wellington Harbour, which are a continuation of the Rimutakas. Almost 100 years ago Dr. E. Dieffenbach, naturalist to the New Zealand Company, received several huias from the same place. They were used by Mr. J. Gould to illustrate a magnificent book he published on Australian birds.

The last time that Sir Walter Buller climbed the Ruahine Mountains, in July thirty-five years ago, he saw only one huia. On his approach it bounded through the vegetation with the pace of a greyhound. Formerly, the place where he stood, the summit of Whariti, 3500 ft., was a favourite haunt of huias. Although the season was favourable and the weather was perfect, birds were almost completely absent. During that excursion into the Ruahines he did not see a tui or hear a tui's note. He heard a parrakeet, and shot a kaka. Otherwise, except for the single huia, the mountain forests sepmed lifeless.