EuTLAND. — Oil the Ncir Zealand Ihish-ral. 303 



which the kernel has been abstracted. This is the work of the 

 bush-rats, but I am not inchned to think that it is all done 

 during the periods of swarming above referred to. 



Considering the vast numbers of these rats that periodically 

 congregate round the homes of settlers in the bush, the mischief 

 done by them is extren^ely small. This is owing to their food 

 during the time being green vegetables. In kitchen-gardens 

 they are certainly annoying, devouring peas, beans, cabbages, 

 and even onions, as they aj)pear above ground, clind)ing hop- 

 poles to nip off the shoots of the vines, and making a clean 

 sweep of the strawberry-ci'op long before the fruit is ripe. 

 Though they enter dwelling-houses and barns, it is evidently 

 not in quest of food, as shown by corn and other eatables being 

 left untouched by them. 



When lately making inquiries whether these rats were on 

 the new Mahakipawa Goldfield, I was told they were there in 

 thousands, running over everything ; "but," added my inform- 

 ant, " they are harmless — they don't interfere with the flour- 

 bags." 



Such are briefly the results of my observations anil inquiries 

 concerning the habits of the bush-rats. I will now examine 

 the various reasons that have been assigned for their periodical 

 appearance, conmiencing with that given by the Maoris — 

 namely, the failure of the kiekie fruit, causing these animals 

 to leave the hills and seek other food. Any one acquainted 

 with the distribution of the kiekie {Freycineiia bauk.sii) hi this 

 portion of the island will at once perceive the insufliciency of 

 this cause. Though the kiekie covers considerable areas on 

 the hillsides and on the shores of the Sound, it is either entirely 

 absent from the inland valleys or only occurs in patches along 

 the sunny sides high o]i the hills, where it rarely flowers. I 

 have no doubt that the kiekie fruit would be very acceptable 

 to the bush-rats, but it can never be in sufficient quantity to 

 form an article of food on which they would be dependent. 

 Besides, their appearance in places where the kiekie does 

 not occur as well as where it is plentiful points clearly 

 to some other cause. I shall have, however, to return to this 

 later on. 



During the winter months preceding the swarm of 1884 

 heavy falls of snow took place throughout this district, covering 

 the higher portions of the hills. The mixed bush of the low 

 lands also bore a plentiful crop of fruit the previous summer. 

 To both of these circumstances the appearance of the rats was 

 attributed, some averring that they had been driven down 

 from the hills by the snow, others that they had been induced 

 to come down by the large supply of food on the low land. 



I particularly noticed the recurrence of the two conditions 

 in 1887 — an abundant crop of fruit throughout the mixed bush, 



