When They Have
Young, They Feign Lameness, Like The Plover.
I have several times been
thus tricked by them.
One soon, however, becomes an old bird oneself,
and is not to be caught with such chaff any more. We look about for the
young ones, clip off the top joint of one wing, and leave them; thus, in
a few months' time, we can get prime young ducks for the running after
them. The old birds are very bad eating. I rather believe they are
aware of this, for they are very bold, and come very close to us. There
are two that constantly come within ten yards of my hut, and I hope mean
to build in the neighbourhood, for the eggs are excellent. Being geese,
and not ducks, they eat grass. The young birds are called flappers till
they can fly, and can be run down easily.
The hawk is simply a large hawk, and to the unscientific nothing more.
There is a small sparrow-hawk, too, which is very bold, and which will
attack a man if he goes near its nest.
The tern is a beautiful little bird about twice as big as a swallow, and
somewhat resembling it in its flight, but much more graceful. It has a
black satin head, and lavender satin and white over the rest of its
body. It has an orange bill and feet; and is not seen 4 in the back
country during the winter.
The red-bill is, I believe, identical with the oyster-catcher of the
Cornish coast. It has a long orange bill, and orange feet, and is black
and white over the body.
The sand-piper is very like the lark in plumage.
The quail is nearly exterminated. It is exactly like a small partridge,
and is most excellent eating. Ten years ago it was very abundant, but
now it is very rarely seen. The poor little thing is entirely
defenceless; it cannot take more than three flights, and then it is done
up. Some say the fires have destroyed them; some say the sheep have
trod on their eggs; some that they have all been hunted down: my own
opinion is that the wild cats, which have increased so as to be very
numerous, have driven the little creatures nearly off the face of the
earth.
There are wood hens also on the plains; but, though very abundant, they
are not much seen. The wood hen is a bird rather resembling the
pheasant tribe in plumage, but not so handsome. It has a long, sharp
bill and long feet. It is about the size of a hen. It cannot fly, but
sticks its little bob-tail up and down whenever it walks, and has a
curious Paul-Pry-like gait, which is rather amusing. It is exceedingly
bold, and will come sometimes right into a house. It is an arrant
thief, moreover, and will steal anything. I know of a case in which one
was seen to take up a gold watch, and run off with it, and of another in
which a number of men, who were camping out, left their pannikins at the
camp, and on their return found them all gone, and only recovered them
by hearing the wood hens tapping their bills against them. Anything
bright excites their greed; anything red, their indignation. They are
reckoned good eating by some; but most people think them exceedingly
rank and unpleasant. From fat wood hens a good deal of oil can be got,
and this oil is very valuable for almost anything where oil is wanted.
It is sovereign for rheumatics, and wounds or bruises; item for
softening one's boots, and so forth. The egg is about the size of a
guinea fowl's, dirtily streaked, and spotted with a dusky purple; it is
one of the best eating eggs I have ever tasted.
I must not omit to mention the white crane, a very beautiful bird, with
immense wings, of the purest white; and the swamp hen, with a tail which
it is constantly bobbing up and down like the wood hen; it has a good
deal of bluish purple about it, and is very handsome.
There are other birds on the plains, especially about the river-beds,
but not many worthy of notice.
In the back country, however, we have a considerable variety. I have
mentioned the kaka and the parroquet.
The robin is a pretty little fellow, in build and manners very like our
English robin, but tamer. His plumage, however, is different, for he
has a dusky black tail coat and a pale canary-coloured waistcoat. When
one is camping out, no sooner has one lit one's fire than several robins
make their appearance, prying into one's whole proceedings with true
robin-like impudence. They have never probably seen a fire before, and
are rather puzzled by it. I heard of one which first lighted on the
embers, which were covered with ashes; finding this unpleasant, he
hopped on to a burning twig; this was worse, so the third time he
lighted on a red-hot coal; whereat, much disgusted, he took himself off,
I hope escaping with nothing but a blistered toe. They frequently come
into my hut. I watched one hop in a few mornings ago, when the
breakfast things were set. First he tried the bread - that was good;
then he tried the sugar - that was good also; then he tried the salt,
which he instantly rejected; and, lastly, he tried a cup of hot tea, on
which he flew away. I have seen them light on a candle (not a lighted
one) and peck the tallow. I fear, however, that these tame ones are too
often killed by the cats. The tomtit is like its English namesake in
shape, but smaller, and with a glossy black head and bright yellow
breast.
The wren is a beautiful little bird, much smaller than the English one,
and with green about its plumage.
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