IS THE KIWI VANISHING?

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1504, 29 July 1912, Page 6

IS THE KIWI VANISHING?

SUGGESTIONS BY ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. r3° Wdjintfon Zoological Society holds very deeply that Now Zealand should make a great ellort, ami s p e „d a cousill ., cinble sum ot money if necessary to save the tuatara and the kiwi, especially that rare, bird popularly known as the great spotted kJwi. Two of the members of the society have been appointed to write to the principal zoological societies of the world, asking them to eDable the Government and the people of New Zealand to see of what importance Hie preservation of tho tuatara and the kiwi is in the estimation of naturalists everywhere. At the meeting of the society on Thursday evening one of the'most important of tlie matters considered was a report on tho present conditions of the several species of kiwis. The, report was prepared by the late Government. It shows 1 that some kinds of kiwis are yet plentiful in some parts; but there 'is not such, cheering information about some others including the greatest and best. The repoit says :—Notwithstanding the progress of settlement, the Apteryx Mantelli and Bulled are plentiful in manv parts. A'ery recently it was reported tha't they were extremely plentiful in some of the .recently-opened bush country. Seeing this, the meeting resolved to ask (ho Government to place a dozen of these in the Zoo, for experimental purposes Touching the great spotted kiwi, in which all well-informed ornithologists are deeply interested, the report says:—"There appears to bo no evidence to show that tho two spotted kiwis of the South Island arc being destroyed at the present time " "True," says the chairman of tho Zoological Society, "but there appears to be no evidence to show that there are many of these kiwis left that could be destroved." Further,: the report says that: "Certain steps were taken recently to prevent a contract of supplying fifty skins of the larger spotted kiwi. The mnu who was supplying the birds was caught with a number in his possession." ' The Zoological Sociey therefore resolved to ask the Government to move immediately; before poachers get any opportunity to destroy the unique birds: (1) To stock two well-guarded sanctuaries with great spottal kiwis;-.(2) place three pairs of this species in the Wellington Zoo for observation and shidy by naturalists.