THE DISAPPEARANCE OF OUR NATIVE BIRDS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 568, 24 July 1909, Page 10

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF OUR NATIVE BIRDS.

Sir,-r-I have'been much - interested-,in: Mr:: iiEi.C;ißnice-S.'',and the Hon; T. Maekenzio'fl letters on of ouf indigents' birds.- I have now been (with some, intor- . . iexplorihgi; in New' ';Zeriiarid: for'about: twenty-iik ; and',i^y, ;Work.;has;takeriome into . allvkinds 1 of :conntyy.. 1n.1886 I was -in s the forests of! 1 tho that •Ijimo''Pi§eons,>.'kakas,i!kakakos ) - and small faiot,'- Jwei our " chief. flesh i f.'iii • ' tho back jdoun^.^P.h^sMfc'ariS.quail werejalso. thoii ! that' .period,! rats' swarmed -in.; the buai-' in"' those localities;' but -_';itpatg, i;3tpas«l 3,| ; ferrets' did-, not. than mako war. on tho birds.; : Iri 'are' Sot - i • ,tji,e ; .'iatter; pests 'afo''' r-eSponsibie'vfor v tlie' ! quicklyrdisappearing supply of phoasants and quail, that has occurrcd during tho last ten "years. '. !■ Rat's; under' riaturd ■ coriditiori's, 'as wheri in .the bush, do.inot, .I believe;' except,,in for they , .abnndanco'of: nativevfruits,- flowers;" and .berraes ron '.which -to feed.Oa--the'other/ ';X€asels,-; arid purely carnivorous animals. J really cannot behovtf that/.Btoats; and weasels deserve Mr. Bruco'a defence, for -iL vhave:. heard V orread.-1 of,: so, •muoh :aamage.-being-:done ,by,!.them to. poultry, lariibs, and -even (in one ioase) 1 to,. a•baby. (/fMr.-.i.Setqn';,^ (author:,: of; f'Bomo Wild 'Animals-,l> Have Known") refers -.to 'tHesp pests.as!bird-killors., ... : now takes;:irii3 from ; ; north to' south, of; the. Dominion, and I , am' , convinced that^'.our : ;; native: '.forest .--birds . are fast decreasing: v s Tlie.-i only'., on?s; that' :'.caa now be said to' abundanti';aro the tui,, grey-wai-blcr, black-liended .tit, fahtail, -arid whiter, heads. Tho. whitehead is to 1)6 foniid from Wellington -to- the .high, lands: near ilotorua. In..some of tho back woods pigeons; ikakas;,' MdvpatTaquets, ; : are- .still^plentiful \but,.asj scttletoetit advanced these , are'.fast diminish- 'i :ing; ; ;9Fing; to the rccklcss destruction of . our forests,' but; also largely to., the slaughter indulged /in- : by, ppt--,j hunting': gunners, , who ;find pigeons- as, easy: •t6i'-sh(X)t'iiis''ia-domesticated' turkey.'.: •• - c ,ouji; numeious reserves :are nominally/ sancV for., native.:,birds, but my Vexperionce' is- ttaV this ;right ';of .'Sanctuary is! entjrely, disregarded. ; The voutlying settler, aria*.;town hpliday-maker'.havo littlo love; for.' ;Natu're,'.; or/ -'inanimate; ,' lt" is.-about ,tiiQe t .that ,:all .nalivo,: birds, oxcept duclss, . shags,' and hawks, Were- strictly pro--lectcd. The pigeon, perhaps, might bp shot duiring. June,' Jnly, and August of every. sec'- ; ond'season, and the sale of that bird (as •is the' ,fcaie;with^trout)','should,:be prohibited—l am; etov ".::-;- ;W .. - E. PHILLIPS TURNER . . July 21.

Sir,—rln your issue :of to-day; you have a long article, on.-the 1 abovo 1 subject by Mr. R. '0;>. Bruce, ', which-.-, certainly : should not pa l ss unnoticed. I believe .ho - is. quite!.fright, in giving'.mbre' blamp; to, 'rats for - tho' destruc-' tion i ; of: birds, than? either| sto'atk .'or:..weasels; deserve,, more-especially ; when: - the birds .robst.either. on.trees or in'-hedges, ': : Biit' what bf 'pheasants' : and ; 6thers,': that-riest ;-'on': thej ground.'' I am :a,fraid they frequently suffer from;'.: the '.dopredations.j.of ''and weasels. Any gamekeeper lat Homo-I-think; would flatly contradict Mr.-; ■Brucoi'-.or- why.should they .go 'to bo much trouble and 'OxponsoY'in trapping weasels ? :As,for ferrets,-, they are very.; good indeed for, tho .destruction'; of rabbits if they ''arp, haridteared': arid properly trainedfor ; work''in burrows, but if bred'in the wild state seom to get so lazy that I believe thoy would live for days on the carcass of a: dead sheep rather than be .!\t' t-ho trouble of killing a rabbit for :a feed.- IForrots ', of-that descrip-. tion I haVo on more than.one occasion taken from, bilrrows in -^yhich''were-live rabbits. Even when they find a litter of slickers thoy will, only kill eat as their', appetite prompts them, ■' and. in ■ the 1 , interval will esconce : ;themfelv'es f : ,comfbrtably; in; the rabbit nest.

/But ..with, stoats l ,(ind teasels.:'it :'is quite different, as thoy 'orily suck tho blood of their, victim, ;and will;go to a: deal- of trouble to get it, moreiespeoially ■ the stoit, : :.;.which: will bark and Chase-'after ; either hareior rabbit untilit gets; it] .which'is sometimes easily done, 'as ' the; 'gets quite powerless and overcome, with; nerves. "Anyone who. wouldnot beliove that tho weasel tribe won't kilh poultry must be very-' credulous' indeed,. and 1 would- be plainly.;,.told . to the contrary by scores of poultry-keepers, and I also (though not in that;line) ; liave undoubted :'proor of the destruction caused to fowls by'ferrets, stoats, land weatelsj' - when and'; whereverthey: can get an opportunity. But weasels - seem to be fonder of, rats than of rabbits, . as, olice thoy:find a; creek- infested .with them thoy are supposed to . .wprkv right along its banks. Perhaps tho blood of a rat may seom aweetej

than that of a rabbit, but I am inclined to think it is becauso tho /biic "shgiVs fight antl the othcr v does"not'. '. Thanking, 'anticipation for your valuable space—l'am, otc'., ' SCOTT Y. Pahiatua, July 19. _• •