NATURE—AND MAN

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 433, 18 January 1933, Page 3

NATURE—AND MAN

Leo

Fanning)

TRAGEDY OF THE HUIA EXTINCTION OF BEAUTIFUL ; BIRD HASTENED BY COLLECTORS. . PITILESS COLLECTING.

(Edited by

Now and then a rumour raises . a hope that the beautiful huia — believed to be extinct— will be found again in some remote part of the Ruahine woodlands, but, alas, it seems that this wonderful bird has passed away. Collectors helped to hasten the end of a cfeature in which the world's scientist were keenly interested. No New Zealander who loves his country can read without indignation the chronicle of the collectors' raiding of the forests. Even such a birdlover as Sir Walter Suller had his heart hardened when the collecting , fervour was upon hina. That is the way with collectors in all countries, whatever may be the object of their search. They may be perfectly upright god-fearing persons in all matters except their hobby. For f them one may vary slightly an old proverb and make it read thus: "All's fair in love — and collecting." Sir Walter's Raid. Take Sir Walter Buller's own case, as described by himself in his big book "A History of the Birds of New Zealand." In October, 1883 ,he met Captain Mair at Masterton, and they went, with a Maori bird-imitator named Rahui, to the Patitapu range. Here is an extracf from the story of the expedition: — "On reaching the head of the valley, we tethered our horses and commenced the ascent of the range, which we found very steep. About half-way up, we rested on the ground. Rahui continued his eall — a loud elear whistle — not much like the ordinary call of the bird (huia) being louder and more shrill. In a few seconds, 'without sound or warning of any kind, a huia came bounding along, almost tumbling, through the close foliage of the pukapuka, and presented himself to view at such close range that it was impossible to fire. This gave me an opportunity of watching this beautiful bird and marking his noble bearing, if I may so express it, before I shot him. "While waiting to get the bird within proper range, I heard fal below me the rich note of the kokako, ■repeated several times. It is scarcely distinguishable from the call of the tui, but is preceded by a prolonged organ-note of rare sweetness. Wounded for SIow Death, "My next shot was at an adull male huia who came dashing up, with reckless impetuosity, from a wooded gully. Being anxious to obtain a I perfect specimen, I risked a long i shot and only wounded my bird. Down he went to the ground like an arrow, with a sharp flute-note of surprise and pain, and then dartcd off, kangaroo-fashion, covering the 'ground with wonderful rapidity, and disappeared in the tangle.. Snd'den Mur.der for Mating Birds. "We found the. descent of the range much easier than our toilsome climb. Remounting our horses we continued up the valley. At a turn in the road, at a spot hemmed in by a wooded amphitheatre of beautiful shapely trees (chiefly rata), we lialted for 'a moment to gaze on tbe seene. On 'a tree, immediately in front of us, a pair of wood-pigeons were sitting side by sido, showing off their ample white breasts under the rays of sunlight glancing through the raindrops. Whilst we were looking at and admiring this little picture of bird-life, a pair of huias, without uttering a sound, appeared in a tree overhead, and as they were caressing each othex with their beautiful bills, a charge of No. 6 brought both to the ground together. The incident was rather touching, and I felt almost glad that the shot was not mine, although by no means loth to appropriate the two fine specimens. "Before we reached our next camp-ing-ground, at the foot of Poroporo, we had bagged another bird (a female of last year) who was unattend'ed, and came up quite fearlessly to her doom. "After we had secured our horses and 'refreshed the inner man,' Rahui and I started again for huias, whilst our companion remained to fish for 'eels in the creek near our camp. After we had walked about a mile, a bird answered our call, and immediately afterwards a pair of huias alighted in a pukatea tree above us. I brought them down, with right and left. Young Bird's Lament. "Then another bird ( a young male) appeared on the scene. He •exhibited great excitement and was evidently at a loss to know what it all meant. Uttering a low, sibilant cry, with a tender pathos, he hopped down lower and lower until within a yard or two of my head. I could easily have knocked the pretty creature nver with a stick, but bad not the heart to do so. I was less scrupulous, however, about having him caught, and in far less time than 1 take to write it, Rahui selected a long stick, fixed a noose at the end of it, and slipped it over the bird's head. The huia nimbly jumped through the loop but was caught by the f eet. On finding himself a captive, he uttered no sound, but, in the most practical way, at once attacked my hands with his bill, striking fiercely and repeatedly at a white-faced signet-ring. "On the following day Rahui managed to snare another, which was fortunately a female, thus" making a pair of young birds. They became at once reconciled to confinement, eating freely of the huhu grub, and resting very contentedly on a perch to which they had been attached by a throng of flax. The young* of tbe first year has a low and plaintive cry, easily distinguished from all other sounds in the forest, and pleasant to the ear. Sixteen Huias Shoi. "Our third and last day turned out wet and stormy; but we nevertheless got some more huias, our bag consisting altogether of sixteen birds, exclusive of live ones." A Lesson for the Future. "Caressing each other with their beautiful bills" in the leafy home of :their ancestors when tbe collectors' "weapons brought death to both! Snatched from bright life so that

their stuffed skins should have a place in a dim museum! How- many more tragedies of that sort will New Zealand birds have to suffer? Collectors are still granted permits to go alone into the forest, far from watchers' gaze. The species and numbers of native birds tbat they may kill are , mentioned in the permit — but wbat about that faetor known as "collectors' conscience?" Suppose. that a collector, in a secluded ravine of the Ruahines, had the extraordinary luck to see a pair of huias in mating time, would he leave them to their lovemaking? Now, would he? His. permit would not include the huia, but it would be easy for him to escape detection of his crime. Readers of Sir Walter Buller's confession will readily understand why the New Zealand Native Bird Protection Society has pressed persistently but in vain — for a better check on the action of collectors. The Society declar'es, with good reason, that no collector should he allowed the freedom of the forest unless accompanied by a trustworthy ranger, but tbe request for that necessary precaution has not yet been granted by the authorities. t