MAORI OWL-CAICHING

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2201, 16 August 1889, Page 2

MAORI OWL-CAICHING

In the loafy receses of fioao ehadeß th» owl (spiloglaux Nooa Zealandie) tits motioolesSj having un uncommonly we Ibred stiro. The natives tike advantage of this welUbr d staro, t-ud capture bim thas by a epeoio? of masm ritm. A Maori tike, a buDoh ofleavoa; begins something like a modfi d ete;> of a war dancß ; gets into the epir t of tho tblny by introducing at tab momon 1 ; soma now, queer antioa, kefping hia >;«_•) oonatantly hxed upon the owl. That bird appears fi st interostod, then surprised, next begiua to bo filled with won er and aw ), fin-ily le.ches tho height of uttiniehm ji.t The charm thea biiglna ti work. The Maori ia m the frenzy of oxpacled auoo^s, and works harder. The owl, as if doubting iho ovidenooof hia sense- oaroea down by degrees quite fascinated w th Bport to get a closer ifiHpeotioo of the e^traordinury porformanoo Hiß oa[ tire now iH only a matter of detail. Tho Maori puts on oome fir t clas.i ornamental touches ; tho bewildered victim is close, gazing first On an arm and then tho flour Mi of a foot till the Maori by a sudden mpid baok-baod stroke knocks what little senses that romaiu out of tho poor bird, a id ho is scoured. - ( Jon-tributor-'NZ Herald.")