MUTTON-BIRDING

Otago Witness, Issue 3830, 9 August 1927, Page 76

MUTTON-BIRDING

Bv

George M. Turner.

(Special for the Otago Witness.) (Illustrations in This Issue.) Much has been written about the jnutton-birders each year, when the Maoris of the south either set out for or return from their islands off the east >nd south coasts of Stewart Island, but It is perhaps interesting, by the ahi of photographs, to deal in part with the processes which go to make up the bird as the consumer knows it. ._ This migratory bird—the young of which is such a delicacy among the Maoris and their relatives, and which is known to them as titi —belongs to the petrel family, and is called in the scientific tongue “ puffinus griseus.”

The mutton birds arrive about midOctober in countless thousands from unknown parts, and proceed to the various islands lying off Stewart Island and the islands further south, where they feed in great flocks on shoals of small sardines which abound in these waters. These are frequently seen in summer time in Foveaux Strait and elsewhere.

An interesting sight was witnessed in Bluff Harbour in February some four or five years ago, giving some idea of the extraordinary numbers which descend on these shoals of small fish. Apparently some barracouta were driving the small fish to the surface, and the mutton-birds were on the waters of the harbour in such numbers that it was estimated that there were 50,000 birds to the acre. The birds had so gorged themselves that they were unable to rise, and shipping cut its way through masses of them sitting helplessly on the water.

The mating season begins on arrival at the islands, and the birds prepare the old nesting holes or burrows, or make new ones, in the loose black soil under the tupare or mutton-bird trees which abound round the coast of these islands. These burrows are similar to those of the rabbits, but are only some four to six feet in length and 18 inches deep, and often close together. One egg is laid in each hole about November 25, and is kept warm during the hatching period by the maze «nd female taking turns. About December 25 most of the chicks are hatched, each burrow containing a pale blue, fluffy chick.

This chick is continuously fed by the parents with regurgitated oil produced from the digested fish which they have caught, until it becomes very fat and bulky, and twice the size of its parent.

It is remarkable to see the old birds return in the evening after feeding at sea all day. They come in at dusk in their thousands; yet, like bees returning to their hives, each seems to know exactly where its nest is situated, and on arrival over the spot closes its wings and plunges like a stone into the burrow, striking the ground with great force, but apparently without injuring itself. Should one be in the direct line of the entrance of a burrow the bird will plunge in the same way and strike with some considerable force that part of one's anatomy which happens to be in the line of fire—perhaps even killing itself in doing so. Occasionally a bird can be seen with its r.eck caught in the fork of a branch of tupare, which is often fairly thick over the nesting burrows, and hanging like the ill-fated Absalom in biblical history. This feeding is continued at a great rate until about the beginning of May, when the parents, having done all they can, leave the nests and islands and are not seen again until the following October.

The chicks live on their fat, ard bn stormy nights—not calm or moonlight nights, as might be supposed—they come out of the-holes and flap their wings, and try to shake off the down that is giving place to feathers. They use these stormy nights because the wind and rain assist in the removing of down.

Finally, when they have their feathers and are strong enough, on the first wild and stormy night they venture forth into the world and disappear. Those which are weak are mostly killed by the skua gulls or sea-hawks and nellies, which seem to know the time, and will wait around the islands.

The mutton-birding season opens on April 1, and the birds rilay not be taken before. Even in season, only the Maoris or people of partly Maori blood or relatives of the Maoris may take the birds, as they have the sole right of muttonbirding.

About October the Maoris, begin their work of preparation for the coming season by’ collecting large quantities of green totara bark, which they tie up into bundles about eight or nine feet long, and also broad sheets of kelp, specially picked from long leaves and split open by inserting the fist between the leathery coatings of the kelp leaf.

These are blown up into hags and dried. Should there be a small hole in a good bag a limpet shell is placed inside, covering the hole, and the kelp is drawn over the shell ami tied tightly with flax, Snaking a perfect puncture repair.

Maori flax-woven bags and twine and Quantities of salt, in addition to other <ear, make up a big load to be landed

at the camps ou the various islands before ti*e season opens. The mutton-birders and their whole families—old and young—proceed to the islands a week or two before the opening date to prepare the camp and gear, which they will be using at a feverish rate once the season begins. During the first part of the season the birds are taken from their holes when fine weather is particularly needed. At the end of the season the “torching process’’ is used at night, when rough weather is ideal. The chicks are then outside of the burrow trying to shake off the down. When a young chick is removed from the burrow in fine weather —a stick is put down the burrow until the chick in its nest is felt at the end, when the stick is withdrawn and along the ground above the burrow in the direction of the nest. A sod of earth is then cut and removed, the hand is put down this hole, and the struggling chick taken out and killed by placing the head on the knee and hitting it with the fist (this is to Drevent bruising the body). Gloves arc worn so as to protect the hand from the bite of the chick, which is quite a sharp one. By removing the chick in this manner the entrance of the burrow is not disturbed, and the same parents (or another pair should those be killed or die before next season) return next year, and clean out the hole and lav there again. The chicks, which are put in heaps, are then plucked—generally by the womenfolk—and collected up by the men, and carried to camp. If the weather is wet, or when a sufficient number is collected, the birds are prepared inside the huts by both men and women, who sit round a great open hearth —typical of a permanent camp—over which several pots of boiling water are hanging. Into these the birds are plunged, being held in the water by the legs for a few seconds—which time is all important, for if it be too long the birds will be damaged and the skin broken. The down and pin feathers are removed easily and cleanly by running the thumb and fingers over the skin.

The birds are then hung up by the heads in cluster's on frames called “ gallows ” outside the huts to dry. When dry the legs, wings, head, and “ parson’s nose ” are cut off, and the birds are ready for sale as “ fresh mutton-birds.” If, as in this case, they are to be salted and packed in kits to be sent away as “ salted mutton-birds,” the birds are next cut open along the breast right down the body. The entrails, which are few at this stage of growth, and lumps of white fat are scraped out, and the birds are then readv to be salted down in the brine barrels.

They are then dry-salted, Maced in barrels, and left for about 12 hours, after which they are packed tightly into the kelp bag, the bottom of which is first placed in a flax-woven bag (made by the women before the season commences) to protect it in transit. These bags (or kits) are made up in several sizes, containing from 14—a small kit—to as ff.-any as 150—a large kit. The totara bark is cut into lengths to suit the kelp bag. and these are placed vertically around the kelp bag. Then the -whole is bound round very tightly with twine or flax, and the number the kit contains, with the packer’s name, is pencilled indelibly in several places on the bark. This kit. if not broken, will keep the birds for a long time—even two years or more.

The birds are also cooked in their own fat, and nacked in kits in the same way, but are labelled “ cooked mutton-birds.” It is astounding the numbers of young birds which are taken annually—some thing approaching a Quarter of a million—from the islands around Stewart Island. Even so. that is only a small number of the birds hatched each vear. for a great many more nest awav on the inaccessible islands farther south.