Reischkk. — On the Habits of New Zealand Birds. 103 



appease the hunger of their foster offspring. These Cuckoos live 



entirely on insects. 



Carpophaga nov.e-zealandle. — Wood Pigeon (Kuku). 



This pretty bird is getting scarcer every year, and is esteemed 

 for its delicious flesh ; it feeds on berries and young leaves. 



Apteryx. — Kiwi. 



The four species, which are getting very rare, especially 

 Apteryx australis and A. haastii, as they have no defence against 

 their numerous enemies, except by running and hiding in 

 burrows. Their food consists of various insects and berries. 



The Waders. 



All the Waders — such as Charadriadee, Hamatopi, Limicola, 

 Tringa, Gallinago, etc., which form a numerous family, there being 

 twenty-two species in New Zealand — are esteemed for food when 

 in season. Their food consists of Crustacea and Mollusca. 



Eallid^e.— Land-rails, five species. 



Anatid;e. — Ducks, nine species. 



These are all useful for their flesh, down, and feathers. 

 Their food consists of different plants, seeds, grass, growing in 

 the water or on the edges ; also of insects and vermin of all kinds 

 which they can overpower. 



If the insectivorous birds are not protected, the result will 

 be disastrous, as I have seen on several occasions during my 

 travels. On a first visit to a certain district everything 

 looked nice and green, but on visiting six weeks later the same 

 place, I was astonished to see only patches of sw r ard here and 

 there, and thousands of caterpillars, which destroyed the vegeta- 

 tion. In another place, besides the destruction of vegetation, 

 the paper and paint on the walls in the house, even blankets 

 and clothes, were gnawed by crickets. The numerous dogs, 

 and even cats, of itinerant travellers and Natives, let at 

 large, (the poor brutes often being obliged to procure their 

 own subsistence, and sometimes being abandoned,) become wild, 

 and prey on birds ; but if stoats, ferrets, w T easels, mongoose, 

 and cats are turned out to destroy rabbits, it will be difficult 

 to protect the birds, as these creatures destroy them, especially 

 ground birds, such as kiwis, kakapos, wrens ; and many other of 

 these interesting birds peculiar to New Zealand must dis- 

 appear, even from the solitudes. It should be remembered that 

 some of these animals prefer their abode near a habitation, 

 where they make much havoc amongst poultry, as they just kill 

 as many as they can get hold of, without eating them. In 

 the Old Country, I remember as many as over twenty fowls 

 in one night were destroyed, and the eggs taken away from the 

 brood hens, which were killed first ; and in Austria we destroy 

 these animals at every opportunity. They are very cunning, 



