BuLLER. — On tlie Ornithology of New Zealand. 19' 



Canon Stack, in his vei-y interesting account of the original 

 occupation of certain districts by the Ngaitahu, refers thus 

 incidentally to the home of the Kakapo:^'' "These young 

 chiefs (known as the Whanaunga-purahonui), having ascer- 

 tained from persons familiar with the physical features of the 

 country the names of the various localities, proceeded to 

 divide the unallotted parts of the country amongst them- 

 selves ; and their procedure on this occasion is of particular 

 interest, as it serves to illustrate one method by which the 

 Maoris acquired title to land. Kakapo-skins were at that 

 time highly prized, and every one of the party was desirous 

 to secure a parrot preserve to himself. As they approached 

 the mountain known as Whata-arama they each claimed a 

 peak of the range. 'That is mine,' cried Moki, 'that my 

 daughter Te Aoiukia may possess a kilt of Kakapo-skins to 

 make her fragrant and beautiful.' ' jVIine,' cried Tanetiki, 

 ' that the Kakapo-skins may form a kilt for my daughter 

 Hinemihi.' 'Mine,' cried Hikatutae, 'that the Kakapo- 

 skins may form a girdle for my daughter Kaiata.' Moki, one 

 of the party, had his servant with him, who whispered in his 

 ear, * Wait ; do not claim anything yet ' ; and then the man 

 climbed up into a tree. ' What are you doing ? ' said the rest 

 of the party. ' Only breaking off the dry branches to light 

 our fire with.' But he was in reality looking out for the 

 mountain which Tura-kautahi had told his master was the 

 place where the Kakapo were most abundant. Presently he 

 espied the far-off peak. ' My mountain, Kura-tawhiti ! ' he 

 cried. ' Ours! ' said Moki. The claim was at once recognised 

 by the other members of the exploring expedition, and Moki's 

 descendants have ever since enjoyed the exclusive right to 

 catch Kakapo on Kura-tawhiti." 



Professor Newton, in his " Dictionary of Birds," writing of 

 this species, corrects a current statement that in this form of 

 Parrot the furcula has been " lost," whilst the sternum lacks 

 a keel, and he explains that whereas the clavicles, which 

 in most birds unite to form the first-mentioned bone, are 

 present, though they do not meet, on the other hand the 

 keel on the sternum is undoubtedly present, and, though much 

 reduced in size, is nearly as much developed as in the Dodo 

 and the Weka. He adds (p. 474) : " Yet, though much 

 has been written about the Kakapo, there is no detailed 

 description of its internal structure, a fact the more to be 

 regretted since the bird is obviously doomed to early extinc- 

 tion, and the opportunity of solving several problems of 

 interest, which a minute examination of its anatomy might 

 afford, will be lost if the matter be not speedily taken in 



South Island Maoris," by Canon Stack. 



