The Tui Or Parson-Bird Is A Starling, And Has A Small Tuft Of White
Cravat-Like Feathers Growing From His Throat.
True to his starling
nature, he has a delicious voice.
We have a thrush, but it is rather rare. It is just like the English,
save that it has some red feathers in its tail.
Our teal is, if not the same as the English teal, so like it, that the
difference is not noticeable.
Our linnet is a little larger than the English, with a clear, bell-like
voice, as of a blacksmith's hammer on an anvil. Indeed, we might call
him the harmonious blacksmith.
The pigeon is larger than the English, and far handsomer. He has much
white and glossy green shot with purple about him, and is one of the
most beautiful birds I ever saw. He is very foolish, and can be noosed
with ease. Tie a string with a noose at the end of it to a long stick,
and you may put it round his neck and catch him. The kakas, too, will
let you do this, and in a few days become quite tame.
Besides these, there is an owl or two. These are heard occasionally,
but not seen. Often at night one hears a solemn cry of "More pork! more
pork! more pork!" I have heard people talk, too, of a laughing jackass
(not the Australian bird of that name), but no one has ever seen it.
Occasionally we hear rumours of the footprint of a moa, and the Nelson
surveyors found fresh foot-tracks of a bird, which were measured for
fourteen inches. Of this there can be little doubt; but since a wood
hen's foot measures four inches, and a wood hen does not stand higher
than a hen, fourteen inches is hardly long enough for the track of a
moa, the largest kind of which stood fifteen feet high. We often find
some of their bones lying in a heap upon the ground, but never a perfect
skeleton. Little heaps of their gizzard stones, too, are constantly
found. They consist of very smooth and polished flints and cornelians,
with sometimes quartz. The bird generally chose rather pretty stones.
I do not remember finding a single sandstone specimen of a moa gizzard
stone. Those heaps are easily distinguished, and very common. Few
people believe in the existence of a moa. If one or two be yet living,
they will probably be found on the West Coast, that yet unexplored
region of forest which may contain sleeping princesses and gold in ton
blocks, and all sorts of good things. A gentleman who lives at the
Kiakoras possesses a moa's egg; it is ten inches by seven. It was
discovered in a Maori grave, and must have been considered precious at
the time it was buried, for the Maoris were accustomed to bury a man's
valuables with him.
I really know of few other birds to tell you about. There is a good
sprinkling more, but they form no feature in the country, and are only
interesting to the naturalist. There is the kiwi, or apteryx, which is
about as large as a turkey, but only found on the West Coast. There is
a green ground parrot too, called the kakapo, a night bird, and hardly
ever found on the eastern side of the island. There is also a very rare
and as yet unnamed kind of kaka, much larger and handsomer than the kaka
itself, of which I and another shot one of the first, if not the very
first, observed specimen. Being hungry, far from home, and without
meat, we ate the interesting creature, but made a note of it for the
benefit of science. Since then it has found its way into more worthy
hands, and was, a few months ago, sent home to be named. Altogether, I
am acquainted with about seventy species of birds belonging to the
Canterbury settlement, and I do not think that there are many more. Two
albatrosses came to my wool-shed about seven months ago, and a dead one
was found at Mount Peel not long since. I did not see the former
myself, but my cook, who was a sailor, watched them for some time, and
his word may be taken. I believe, however, that their coming so far
inland is a very rare occurrence here.
As for the quadrupeds of New Zealand, they are easily disposed of.
There are but two, a kind of rat, which is now banished by the Norway
rat, and an animal of either the otter or beaver species, which is known
rather by rumour than by actual certainty.
The fishes, too, will give us little trouble. There are only a sort of
minnow and an eel. This last grows to a great size, and is abundant
even in the clear, rapid, snow-fed rivers. In every creek one may catch
eels, and they are excellent eating, if they be cooked in such a manner
as to get rid of the oil.
Try them spitchcocked or stewed,
They're too oily when fried,
as Barham says, with his usual good sense. I am told that the other
night a great noise was heard in the kitchen of a gentleman with whom I
have the honour to be acquainted, and that the servants, getting up,
found an eel chasing a cat round about the room. I believe this story.
The eel was in a bucket of water, and doomed to die upon the morrow.
Doubtless the cat had attempted to take liberties with him; on which a
sudden thought struck the eel that he might as well eat the cat as the
cat eat him; and he was preparing to suit the action to the word when he
was discovered.
The insects are insignificant and ugly, and, like the plants, devoid of
general interest. There is one rather pretty butterfly, like our
English tortoiseshell. There is a sprinkling of beetles, a few ants,
and a detestable sandfly, that, on quiet, cloudy mornings, especially
near water, is more irritating than can be described.
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