HUIAS.

Forest and Bird, Issue 18, 1 August 1929, Page 7

HUIAS.

Reports as to the occurrence of this rare and unique bird are 'occasionally received by the Native Bird Protection Society and indeed of other species supposed to be extinct or on the verge of extinction. Publicity is undoubtedly of great value in many ways, but surely when it is used to advise collectors of the locality where a rare bird has been observed it is merely inviting the destruction of the remnant. Quite recently the locality where a pair of Huias appeared was advertised by some unthinking person throughout the Dominion, and doubtless they will share the fate of those reported in 1912 which are stated to have been promptly collected. More recently another pair was reported in the Press and a collector was in the vicinity the very next day, so was a ranger who is a keen bird lover and this time the collector failed. Similar happenings occurred when the last Takahe was reported and many went out in an endeavour to secure the bird, so much so that the controlling Department, which is not itself above securing speciments for its Museums, issued a warning that the bird was absolutelyprotected and its molestation punishable with a heavy fine.