Fulton. — Disappearance of Neiv Zealand Birds. 499 



could be aroused, put a stop to native-bird shooting altogether, 

 and preserve for all time our splendid creatures. 



The paradise duck can be seen in many places in immense 

 numbers ; and in the Maruia Forest he abounds, but as this is 

 settled he will go. This is one of the loveliest birds we have, and 

 might well have protection. A friend described to me how he 

 surprised a pair, with ten small ones, on a branch of the Buller 

 River. The old birds instantly took to the water of the swollen 

 rushing torrent, and, beak to tail, sailed diagonally across, with 

 all the tiny ones resting safely above and against them as they 

 bravely breasted the turbulent stream. A more beautiful 

 device or a more marvellous display of instinct could hardly be 

 imagined. 



Our grebe and dabehick, expert divers, remain in fair 

 numbers on some of the lakes in Nelson and Otago. Alert 

 enough to escape gunshot, diving at the flash, breeding in hidden 

 places, living more in lagoons and lakes than swamps, escaping 

 in this way the fate of the swamp birds, useless as food, too 

 clever for the sportsman, and protected by the Government, 

 they survive, and let us hope will long survive, their less for- 

 tunate brethren. 



Our sea-birds I have touched on. Our shags, though shot 

 at and destroyed in great numbers, remain with us : breeding 

 in rookeries in almost inaccessible positions, feeding on fresh- 

 and salt-water fish, they have a better chance. Our penguins, 

 though slaughtered in millions for oil on the outlying islands, 

 remain and will remain when our present generation has been 

 forgotten. 



Dr. Cockayne urges the setting- apart of Stewart Island as a 

 sanctuary for our flora and fauna. Let us of the New Zealand 

 Institute give the utmost assistance in urging this matter on our 

 local Members of Parliament. What a magnificent scheme ; 

 what pleasure it will give the tourist of the future and our child- 

 ren's children to be able to go in two days to an island teeming 

 with the kiwi, kakapo, weka, tui, mocker, pigeon, kaka, robin, 

 fantail, tomtit, and canary — all these and more abounding, and 

 making the forest welkin ring ! 



In addition to this, I should urge the preservation of such 

 areas as Maruia : 1,000 acres of virgin bush (totara and pine), 

 teeming with bird-life, is plotted, and being felled for settle- 

 ment. Here the kiwi and weka are common ; weasels are 

 plentiful ; kakapos are very rare ; tuis, mockers, wrens, and 

 robins are very common ; tomtits not so common ; fantails 

 plentiful ; canaries very common, in flocks ; pigeons very 

 common ; kakas shot in hundreds ; and paradise and other 

 ducks very common indeed. Surely as good, if not better, 



