BuLLER. — On New Zealand Ornithology. 327 



most careful to prevent dogs and cats — those great destroyers 

 of native bii"ds — from becommg feral on the island. It is at 

 a convenient distance from the maniland, and seems specially 

 designed by nature for what it will now, we may hope, soon 

 become — the central colonial depot, so to speak, for our birds 

 and plants. I only wish I could report that steps were being 

 taken to give effect to Lord Onslow's original proposal, to 

 collect rare birds in various parts of the country and turn 

 them loose on the island preserves — such birds, for example, 

 as Kakapo, Kiwi, Huia, and the native Crow. But that, I 

 trust, will be the next forward step. 



I regard with extreme satisfaction this gradual awakening 

 to the fact that we have animal and vegetable forms of life 

 indigenous to the country which ought to be protected and 

 cherished; that we have bush scenery of matchless beauty that 

 ought to be preserved ; and that, new as our record is, we 

 have sites of pas and other places of historic interest that 

 ought, at any cost, to be handed down unimpaired to those 

 who will come after us. That this growing feelmg is becoming 

 part of our national life must surely delight every true lover of 

 New Zealand. The various Commissioners of Crown Lands 

 all over the colony have received instructions to withhold from 

 sale spots of exceptional beauty and all places of historic 

 interest — such, for example, as the site of the Orakau Pa, with 

 its tradition of " Ake, ake, ake!" (which, by the way, was 

 within a few hours of being sold when the Government stepped 

 in to save it) ; and the site of Rangiriri, where the Waikato 

 tribes made their first heroic resistance before surrendering to 

 an overwhelming force, and where so many of our own brave 

 men lie buried. Forest reserves, like the beautiful belt of bush 

 along the boundary of the State farm at Horowhenua, are being 

 defined and proclaimed ; and the law is being invoked for the 

 protection, one after another, of our rarer species of birds. 

 The only danger to be apprehended now is that by continuing 

 the insane policy of introducmg predatory animals, such as 

 stoats, ferrets, and weasels, in the vain hope of suppressing 

 the rabbit nuisance, the good that is being accomplished may 

 be to a great extent counterbalanced. To my mind it is im- 

 possible to exaggerate this evil : it is so easy to introduce 

 these bloodthirsty little animals, and so difficult to extirpate 

 them when once fairly established and the mischief of their 

 presence has become manifest. I have so often referred to 

 this matter in my addresses to this society that it is not neces- 

 sary for me to give reasons for the strong opinion I hold. 

 It seems to me that we ought to benefit by the experience of 

 other countries where these predaceous pests abound, and 

 where large sums have been expended in the attempts to 

 exterminate them. 



