8 Transactions. — Zoology. 



the whole excursion we never saw or even heard the note of 

 the Tui ; we shot a Kaka, heard a Parrakeet, and saw a single 

 Huia (a fine female bird), which, on our near approach, v/ent 

 bounding through the mountain vegetation with the swiftness 

 of a greyhound. Formerly this was a favourite haunt of this 

 elegant mountain starling, which could always be attracted by 

 an imitation of its peculiar whistling cry ; now it has all but 

 vanished. Seeing that excellent insular preserves have been 

 acquired by the Government, it seems to me a great pity that 

 an effort is not made, before it is too late, to capture a few 

 live Huias and turn them out on the Little Barrier, on Kapiti, 

 and on Eesolution Island. Unless this be done, the final 

 extinction of this species can only be a matter of a few years. 

 Its powers of flight are so limited — its progression being 

 generally effected by a bounding movement through the 

 branches — that, once safely introduced, there would be no 

 danger of its quitting its island home for the mainland ; and 

 the difference of climate at the three points I have indicated 

 would give the experiment every chance of success. The cost 

 would be very small, as this bird is easily snared; and, if the 

 Government would not defray the trifling expenditure neces- 

 sary, the task might be properly undertaken by our Acclima- 

 tisation Society. From a zoological point of view, it is even 

 of more importance to preserve the Huia for the student of 

 the future than the little Stitch-bird, about which so much has 

 of late been said and written. The Huia is more tamable 

 than perhaps any other New Zealand bird, and will accept 

 suitable food almost immediately after being caught ; so there 

 would be no practical difficulty in effecting its transportation 

 to any part of the colony. It should be remembered, also, 

 that this was part of the original scheme proposed by Lord 

 Onslow, whose celebrated memorandum to his Ministers gave 

 the first impulse to this island-conservation which has so 

 taken hold of the popular fancy. 



During a recent discussion in the House of Eepresenta- 

 tives as to the propriety of protecting the Woodhen in the 

 South Island it was stated by a Minister of the Crown that 

 he possessed authentic information that this bird was increas- 

 ing on the Canterbury Plains, and might therefore be left to 

 take care of itself. As to certain favourable localities, this 

 statement is no doubt quite true ; but to those who remem- 

 ber how abundant the Woodhen was on the plains in the early 

 " sixties " it will seem now that the bird is practically a thing 

 of the past. I recollect when travelling on horseback towards 

 Waimate South in 1859, accompanied by a single Maori, we 

 were overtaken by darkness, and had to camp in the open, 

 using our saddles as pillows. It was a fine night, although 

 somewhat dark, and my companion's little dog spent the 



