IN TOUCH WITH NATURE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14686, 20 November 1909, Page 5

IN TOUCH WITH NATURE

NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY IN

NEW ZEALAND.

(By James Dbummoxd, F.L.S., F.Z.S.)

Major Mail's recent account of bib experiences with New Zealand's little native frog, and his appeal for information in regard to its present existence, have brought a Jiunibcr of letters which fahow that this interesting animal is not as ram as it was believed to be. Mr J. Reilly, of Coroniandel, forwarded a livo specimen of the frog,- which, however, unfortunately died shortly after reaching Auckland. It was found by a. friend of Mr Reilly's, who was clearing bush in the Coroniandel Range, halfway between Coroniandel and Cabbage Bay. Mr H. Mciklejohn, of Big Omaha, records two cases in which the frog was found in mountain streams near Mangawai. In ono case a timber worker found .1 specimen under- a large stone. In the other case, Mr Meiklejohn's father observed the s'rog at a place now known as Dacro's Village Settlement. Mr P. C. Cheal, of Auckland, states that he saw a frog in 1870, but not since. He was camped near tho head of a small stream on the Mercury Bay, or eastern, side of the main range between two high points on the range known as Kakatarahae and Whareana, about 1600 ft above sea level. Some Maoris working for Mr Cheal were lying under a " moe-moe," a lean-to covered with nikau leaves. During the night he heard a loud yell, and on going to the Maoris he was told that one of them had been awakened by something cold and wet jumping on his face, Investigations brought a little frog to light. It was placed in a matchbox. About six days later Mr Cheal tool; the frog out oi' to his hand in a Maori settlement, in the presence of men, women, and children. They had never seen anything like it before, and immediately classified it as ?. "taipo," and when it jumped to the ground they scattered in all directions.

Mr 11. Macpherson. of Opoutama, Hawkc's Bay, states that three years ago ho saw three native frogs on the vjcstern slope of the Moehau Mountain, and only eight months ago, in company with Mr Fraser, of the Geological Survey, he saw eight or lune at the head waters of a branch, of the Kanaeranga Hivcr, in the Thames district, leadingup the southern side of Table Mountain. When Mr Macphersou saw the frogs on Moehau Mountain, a Maori was with him, and said that their name wau " kcnelurio," -probably the name in the Maori's own district. Further evidence in regard to the pretence of this member of the Dominion's fauna is supplied by Mr. Q. I<". Wood, of Waihi, who says that about 13 years ago, when the Triumph battery was being erected, several frogs were found in moss amongst loose boulders locally known as

" the mineral bar." The stone was pitted with holes like scoria, and the frogs seemed to be in the damp places in tho boulders. The battery was on the road from Coromandel lo Cabbage Bay, and was situated in heavy bush country. Up to the present time (he presence of the frog has not been reported' in the South Island, or, indeed, in any place outside of the Auckland district. It will be interesting to learn if its habitat has a more extended area.

Mr M. Priestly has recorded some incidents in the lives of a family of magpies which livo in a small bush near the Waikiekie fowndi.ip, north of Auckland. l r or some years they have been in a semiprosperous, condition, but neither increase nor decrease. They break the monotony of their lives by making determined raid!', on every hawk that happens to so much as look at their private domains. Thev have earned a local reputation for discretion, as they invariably attack in pairs and Mr Piiestly was considerably surprised when, a. few week? ago. lie was an interested spectator ot a battle between a. hawk and a. lonely magpie. Repeatedly the magpie, by weans of its powers or rising perpendicularly, would dart down with lightningi speed on il.s bigger antacionist, which nearly always row to meet the charge, only to receive the blowfull in the face. Distress signals wore out before 10 minutes had elapsed, and then, apparently without reason, the victorious magpie rose about 50ft above tho hawk, and,' instead of charging again, made off at full speed. " Then," .Mr Priestly- writes, '• I suv the reason for 'tho withdrawal, and remembered that 'ho who fignts and runs away lives to fight another day.' Far away, just a, speck in the blue, was a second hawk, which the magpie had evidently spied when rising the last time. Realising that tho top man invariably wins, lie bad retired. While he was on top Ire had confidence- enough to figfit any hawk that ever flew, but when he found that he had lest that position, his courage forsook him, and he flew to refuge, possibly to gather reinforcement.-;."

"One of Hid must interesting sights in my country (I'Tnland)," writes"Mr C. J. Kiirlson, of Daiigaville, Auckland, " is the arrival and <Jepartu.ro of the feathered migrant*, the godwit. The big bird invasion commences early in May— that is, in the summer,—and during that month godwils arrive in countless thousands from the fur south, bound for the tundra. This tundra is the name given to a barren, swampy tract of country thousands of acres in extent. It is the nesting and _ feeding grounds of ,somc 50 different hinds of bird? of passage. The flight fur the ' Sunny South' is°an interesting one. Like a lmige snow plough, the birds take tho long aerial flight, the old birds in turn leading the wav, the voun" following. After the flight, smith flic vast tons of feathers left behind by the moulting birds are :ol!eetcd by feather nets, and are sold at as much as is per lb."

A correspondent at Patea. in the Taranaki province, Malta that in reading this column ho was surprised to see many writers nolo the rarcnew of the native pigeon's nest; but, when he counted the nests he has seen, he found that, although his bush experience extends over 50 years, they number only seven. Five of'theni were found in the month of March and two in January. Tliey were at heights varyin,; from 7ft to 20ft from the ground, and most of them were in small trees. The correspondent adds that the North Ishud crow is not rare in the higher ranges of (he upper brunches of the I'atM and Whenuuknra Rivers, and that bellbirds are very plentiful in flic liigii wooded ranges in the interior of the North Island. "