Colbnso. — On the Native Dog of New Zealand. 503 



several months in the country (1826, 1838) ; Bidwill, Dieffen- 

 bach, Dr. Sinclair, and Hochstetter, who travelled largely in 

 it ; Swainson, and many others ; the early Governors, with all 

 their aides, and numerous and good opportunities; eminent and 

 active men of science, early residents, from the Hon. W. B. D. 

 Mantell and Sir James Hector downwards in time — a host 

 in themselves ;— surely all these were not merely "casual 

 observers." Moreover, the Maoris (and, mark well, before 

 they had anything foreign to divert their attention and occupy 

 their time, and when a small payment was considered a great 

 reward), they including their old and principal chiefs and 

 tohungas = skilled men (used to the snaring of rats, and every- 

 thing connected with their dogs, and always bitter in their 

 complaints against the introduced rats), :;: who well knew both 

 the Maori rat and dog — these were not "casual observers." \ 

 And, lastly, the young Maoris, of various tribes and from dif- 

 ferent districts, who had been early located at our mission- 

 stations in order to learn to read and write, and who were 

 duly returned to their respective homes — these, stimulated by 

 the hope of reward (promised in many cases by myself during 

 the '30s) — these also all failed to discover a single specimen 

 of those two animals ; which, though certainly unknown to 

 themselves, they would not have failed to detect if surviving, 

 aided by their seniors who had well known them. 



To me, and to several others (like myself, old residents in 

 New Zealand, and not unacquainted with its natural history, 

 who had also sought diligently throughout many years in 

 different parts of New Zealand long before Mr. White ever 

 saw this colony, seeking to obtain at any price specimens of 

 both the native dog and rat), all such bold and bald statements 

 as Mr. White has persistently put forth concerning these two 

 animals are wholly wrong and absolutely perplexing. 



* Mr. White, in the passage I have just quoted, says, " and possibly 

 two distinct species" (as if this was also something new). Why, this 

 was well known so long ago as Darwin's visit to New Zealand in 1835 ; 

 and I have mentioned the two foreign species in various old publications : 

 in particular, some fine black rats (to. and/.) I obtained here living in 

 Hawke's Bay about 1846, and, as they seemed somewhat different, sent 

 them (in spirits) to England to Professor Owen. 



1 1 myself, in my many long travels throughout this North Island of 

 New Zealand, — who had also conversed with old Maori chiefs and 

 tohungas who had seen Cook and his ships, — failed to obtain a single 

 specimen. 



