( 376) 



yonng: birds, all nnharmed, but evidently much scared, and striking boldly with 

 their claws. Onr captives were soon secured in a Maori ket and we sat down to 

 rest for a short time before taking up the scent again. 1 pnt my arm far down into 

 the cavity, and fonnd that, altliough the rounded entrance was just large enough to 

 admit the bird, the chamber opened out inside, extending diagonally to a depth of 

 about two feet, and wide enough at the bottom for the accommodation of two full- 

 grown birds. 1 drew out the nest materials, consisting of shreds of kickie-leaves 

 and other dry litter, mixed with Kiwi feathers. . ■ >• 



" We had not to hunt long before we came upon another bird, a fine adnlt female, 

 and presumably the mate of the one we liad just canght. She had taken refuge in 

 a cavity under a rata-root, and one of the dogs, having unfortunately slipped his 

 muzzle, killed the bird by breaking her neck. Other captures followed, and the 

 aggregate result of the first day's hunt was ten Kiwis of all ages, and one splendid 

 egg. The ground traversed by us during this hunt and extending over many miles 

 gave evidence everywhere of the presence of Kiwis by their borings in quest of food. 

 These were very numerous in all suitable localities, and were of all sizes, assuming 

 in soft gronnd the appearance of deep funnels with a circular opening four inches or 

 more in diameter, being thus formed by the rotatory action of the bill in its search 

 for the hidden food. The ground seems admirably adapted for this purpose, 

 consisting of a brown vegetable mould. It is easily worked, and, as I ascertained 

 by digging, this earth teems with annelids and insect life of various kinds. 



" Not far from our camp there was an ancient rara-tree — its age extending to 

 many hundreds of years, its hollow trunk bound round with huge cables of aka, 

 and holding in its hoary arms tons of Astelia and other parasitic plants. One of our 

 natives set fire to this tree near the base. The accumulation of dry vegetable 

 substances soon ignited, and the flames ascended the hollow trunk with a roar like 

 that from a steamer's boiler. All day long this monarch of the forest burned fiercely, 

 sending up a column of smoke visible many miles away on the Waikato plains. 

 During the night we were all startled from our sleep by the fall of this burning tree, 

 which came down with a terrific crash carrying everything before it. We had just 

 time to turn out of our blankets and witness a ' display of fireworks ' compared with 

 which the (Jrystal Palace Exhibition is mere child's play I 



" In the early part of the night we heard the shrill cry of a Kiwi — a prolonged 

 whistle slightly ascending and descending (whence the native name) — and when it 

 was sufficiently light our natives went out witli the dogs and brought in an adult 

 female and two young ones. These were found together in one hole. The mate was 

 no doubt one of those obtained in the same locality on the previous day. 



" Early next morning, accompanied by a native, I climbed to the summit of 

 Pirongia proper, and had a magnificent view of the Upper Waikato, the day being 

 beautifully clear and cloudless. The ascent is somewhat laborious, owing to its 

 steepness and the absence in many places of anything like a bush-track. Almost to 

 the very summit of the peak we met with traces of the Kiwi in earth-borings of the 

 kind already described ; but although we had one of the dogs with us, we did not 

 find any birds in our track. My native companion was no doubt right in his 

 statement that the Kiwi at iiic>ht roams over tlie feeding grounds, and returns on 

 the approach of day to the shade of the gullies where the light penetrates more 

 feebly. All along this mountain track and on the summit 1 found in great abundance 

 the katouton shrub with its bright green foliage and pretty tassels of crimson flower. 

 This afternoon yielded two more adult males and two young ones, besides an egg 



