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beautifnl objects, and thousands of single ones scattered through the bnsh, render 

 the laudscaj)e characteristic and picturesque. After a brief halt, our natives 

 resumed their swags and we continued the ascent, arriving at Pukehona, at the 

 edge of the mountain-forest, in time to fix our little camj) and cook the evening 

 meal before the shades of night had closed in upon us. At daybreak one of the 

 native attendants called me up to hear the rich flute notes of the Kokako 

 {Gmueo/Ji's icilsom) in the low timber at the edge of the forest. I went after 

 him with my gun, but owing to the thickness of the underwood I failed to find 

 the bird. Leaving our camp at 6 a.m., we entered the dense bush and resumed 

 our ascent of the range. Before we had gone far the dogs (each of whom carried 

 a sheep bell around his neck) took uj) the Kiwi scent and disappeared down a 

 ravine, one of the natives dashing after them. He i)resentl\' reappeared with a 

 ^ne female Kiwi, which was immediately secured in a Maori ket. I returned with 

 him to the spot, and saw at once how utterly hopeless it would be to attempt 

 Kiwi-catching without dogs. Near the bottom of a deep gully, completely clioked 

 up with the gronnd-kickie (Fre>icineUa banksii), so thick and luxuriant indeed that 

 it was a matter of difficulty to push through it at all, down among the gnarled 

 roots of a tawhero, and quite hidden by a growth of Asjjlenium hidbiferum and 

 other ferns, was the entrance to the Kiwi's retreat — a rounded and perfectly 

 artificial entrance, just large enough to admit the hand. I inserted my arm to 

 its full length and could just reach the extremity of the chamber, which spread 

 laterally and widened at a little distance from the mouth. On getting back to the 

 track on the ridge, the natives showed me another " rna-kiwi " from which they 

 had, not long before, taken an adult kiwi and an e^g^. This hole was in brown 

 vegetable mould alongside a fallen tree, and the entrance was so perfectly round 

 that I at once felt persuaded that the Kiwis, if they do not actually dig or burrow 

 their holes with their well-armed feet, at any rate scrape and adapt them. Natural 

 holes and cavities are so numerous, owing to the gnarled character of the roots, 

 that the birds would have no difficulty in finding a cavity suitable for nesting 

 purposes, with the smallest possible labour in preparing it. But more about 

 this anon. After a couple of hours' tramp through the bush we came to the place 

 previously decided on for our camp and daily rendezvous. 



" Our natives were not long in putting up a double shelter, in the form of an 

 inverted V with the apex open. A log fire occupied the space between, the opening 

 in the roof permitting the smoke to escape. My friend and myself occupied one 

 side, and the natives the other. These bush huts, which are quite impervious to 

 the rain, are very simply and rapidly constructed. First a slanting framework of 

 slender sticks cut from the adjoining woods is erected, and this is thatched on top 

 and sides with the j)liant leaves of the nikan plant {Areea sapidoJ), the long fronds 

 being skilfully interlaced together, and covered on the outside with a thick layer of 

 tree-fern branches })Iaced with the lower surface reversed, so as to j)revent annoyance 

 from the dusty seed-sjwres. 



" Our camping place was conveniently chosen, with ready access to firewood and 

 water, besides being a very picturesque spot ; and as it may give some faint idea of 

 the richness and surpassing loveliness of the New Zealand ' Bash,' I shall 

 endeavour to describe it. Behind and overshadowing us was a grove of fine tawa 

 trees, their tops meeting so as to admit only a glimmering of the sunlight ; and 

 immediately beyond them, in striking contrast with the clear, upright boles of the 

 former, a group of tawhero, their trunks covered from the ground upwards with a 



