The “Natura Enemy” in Westland.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6329, 24 September 1890, Page 3

The “ Natura Enemy” in Westland.

In a report on one of his exploring trips ■ about the head waters of the Haast river, the chief surveyor of Westland, Mr G. Mueller, disgresses from his narrative as a surveyor to refer to the rabbit ” nuisance,” and the ferret, weasel, , and stoat “ blessing.” “ During the past summer several weasels and ferrets were caught and killed at the Okuru and Waiatoto settlements. These creatures were taken close to, and some within about a mile from, the sea-coast. To the question as to where they come from there could bo only one answer : nobody introduced them into Westland, and hence they must have been the progeny of those imported by the Government, and must have found their way across the Dividing Range from either Otago or Canterbury, or both. But, in the absence of any signs of rabbits about the coast settlements, it is difficult to understand what brought • these oreatumi over. This mystery was effectually cleared up on my exploration trip. We were prepared to meet with rabbits on the first' day’s travel inland, but we were disappointed. It was not until we got near the Actor, about nineteen from the sea-coast, that we noticed the first traces of rabbits, and it was not until we got to the very headwaters of the Okuru that we saw the rabbits in numbers. The ferrets and weasels, no doubt, came up to the Dividing Range with the . rabbits, but as scion as they discovered, our ground^birds—our kakapos, kiwis, woodhens, blue-ducks, and such like —they followed up the more palatable game. This is what brought the ferrets and weasels down to the coast settlements, and the rabbits on our side of; the dividing range will hence- ’ forth be. left undisturbed and allowed to spread as they please.. Fast experiences have satisfied me that rabbits never will do much mischief on the West Coast. Years ago they 'were turned out in several parts of Westland, parts most favourable to them, open lands and sandhills—bnt they all died ont. The climate is evidently too damp for them, and they certainly will never thrive in our dense bush-country. But, as regards the' ferrets, weasels, &o , they will thrive, and will continue to thrive until the extermination of our ground-birds, which has now begun, is fully accomplished. That I am not prophesying evil without good grounds I may prove by the following: In all my explorations on the coast, the certainty of getting a good supply of birds made it possible to keep the provision-swags, which men had to carry, within reasonable weights and dimensions. On this last trip of mine rather more than the usual amount of provisions was taken, but, in spite oi! this precaution, the party had to be put on short rations for the last three days - namely, one scone per man per day. The further inland the more plentiful the birds, rased to be the rule; but that is reversed now. At the head of the Okuru and the Burke some nights passed during which we never heard the screech of the kakapo, or the shrill wistle of the kiwj ; and, as for blue-ducks, we saw only three during the whole time we were out. In former times, while camping near the head-waters of any of the rivers, the fighting of the kakapos among themselves, and the constant call of the other birds around the tent and camp-fire during the uight, often kept peodle from sleeping. This has all changed now ; at least in the southern part of the West Coast absolute stillness reigns at night, and there is nothing now to keep a traveller from sleeping except —owing to the absence of the birds—fin empty stomach.