Even nestlings, are
afraid of him; many individuals, on the other hand, both at the
Galapagos and at the Falklands, have been pursued and
injured by man, yet have not learned a salutary dread of
him. We may infer from these facts, what havoc the introduction
of any new beast of prey must cause in a country,
before the instincts of the indigenous inhabitants have
become adapted to the stranger's craft or power.
[1] The progress of research has shown that some of these birds,
which were then thought to be confined to the islands, occur on
the American continent. The eminent ornithologist, Mr. Sclater,
informs me that this is the case with the Strix punctatissima
and Pyrocephalus nanus; and probably with the Otus Galapagoensis
and Zenaida Galapagoensis: so that the number of endemic birds
is reduced to twenty-three, or probably to twenty-one. Mr.
Sclater thinks that one or two of these endemic forms should be
ranked rather as varieties than species, which always seemed to
me probable.
[2] This is stated by Dr. Gunther (Zoolog. Soc. Jan 24th,
1859) to be a peculiar species, not known to inhabit any other
country.
[3] Voyage aux Quatre Iles d'Afrique. With respect to the
Sandwich Islands, see Tyerman and Bennett's Journal, vol. i.
p. 434. For Mauritius, see Voyage par un Officier, etc.,
part i. p. 170. There are no frogs in the Canary Islands
(Webb et Berthelot, Hist. Nat. des Iles Canaries). I saw
none at St. Jago in the Cape de Verds. There are none at
St. Helena.
[4] Ann. and Mag. of Nat. Hist., vol. xvi. p. 19.
[5] Voyage in the U. S. ship Essex, vol. i. p. 215.
[6] Linn. Trans., vol. xii. p. 496. The most anomalous fact on
this subject which I have met with is the wildness of the small
birds in the Arctic parts of North America (as described by
Richardson, Fauna Bor., vol. ii. p. 332), where they are said
never to be persecuted. This case is the more strange, because
it is asserted that some of the same species in their winter-
quarters in the United States are tame. There is much, as Dr.
Richardson well remarks, utterly inexplicable connected with the
different degrees of shyness and care with which birds conceal
their nests. How strange it is that the English wood-pigeon,
generally so wild a bird, should very frequently rear its young
in shrubberies close to houses!
CHAPTER XVIII
TAHITI AND NEW ZEALAND
Pass through the Low Archipelago - Tahiti - Aspect -
Vegetation on the Mountains - View of Eimeo - Excursion into
the Interior - Profound Ravines - Succession of Waterfalls -
Number of wild useful Plants - Temperance of the Inhabitants -
Their moral state - Parliament convened - New Zealand - Bay
of Islands - Hippahs - Excursion to Waimate - Missionary
Establishment - English Weeds now run wild - Waiomio -
Funeral of a New Zealand Woman - Sail for Australia.
