Lived in Morass.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 457, 19 May 1932, Page 8

Lived in Morass.

Nature Notes

By

James Drummond,

F.L.S., F.Z.S. JN SIR WALTER BULLER’S day, some forty-five years ago, a great morass at Te Aute, Hawke’s Bay, more than 3000 acres in area, with a broad lagoon in the centre, was one of the best pukeko shooting grounds. Late in the year, pukekos, accompanied by their young, swarmed out of the raupo and rushes on to adjoining meadows, making a strange, bright and lively scene. By that -time, they had become accustomed to the noise of lailway traffic, walking w’ith stately strides and unconcernedly within twenty yards of trains. Pukekos have been seen swimming across fifteen yards of water between the high banks of a deep limestone creek. Riding near the creek, a man heard a loud screaming and saw a commotion amongst the pukekos. He saw an enormous eel at grips with an adult pukeko. With bill and claws, the pukeko fought valiantly, other pukekos helping it when they had a chance to get in. The fight continued for several minutes, until the pukeko wrenched itself free.