103 Mr. J. Haast on the Birds of New Zealand. 



by three of them at once, and they made frequent and well-con- 

 certed charges npon him from different quarters. It was admi- 

 rable to behold the Kotuku (White Crane), with his head laid 

 back, darting his pointed beak at his foes with the swiftness of 

 an arrow, whilst they, with the utmost agility, avoided the spear 

 of their strong adversary, whom at last they were fain to leave 

 to fish unmolested. Another day, in the same neighbourhood, a 

 Cormorant [Graculus varius) passing near a tree on which two of 

 these Sparrow-hawks were sitting, they instantly pounced upon 

 him, putting him to hasty flight with a shrill cry of terror, fol- 

 lowed closely by his smaller but fierce foes, and all three were 

 soon out of sight. In speaking of the Cormorants I may add, 

 that there are several species that exist all along the rivers and 

 sea-coast; they are capital fishei's, and one day I was witness 

 how well they understood how to procure their food. It was 

 near the spot where one of the northern spurs of Mount Mur- 

 chison slopes down to the Buller, which here forms small falls 

 and rapids. ACormorant was standing on an isolated rock, i-ound 

 which the foaming waters dashed down, and I was not a little 

 surprised to see him jump down into the white foam. In the 

 first instance I thought he would not get out again, but would 

 be dashed to death by the whirling waters ; but soon he re-ap- 

 peared, swimming rapidly towards the edge, and then flying on 

 to his old observatory to continue his sport. It is probable that 

 small fishes are taken down by the falls, and, being stunned by 

 the force of the water, are easily caught by the courageous bird. 

 This is a new proof that nature has given to every animal the 

 necessary physical strength to contend with the elements in 

 which it has to look for its subsistence. 



"The Quail [Coturnix novae zelandice) is still very abundant upon 

 the grassy plains of the interior ; at every moment it is met with 

 rising close to the foot of the traveller ; and it is perhaps the best 

 sign that not many dogs exist there, as they would otherwise have 

 been already destroyed. But amongst all the birds which I met 

 with, none is in so great numbers as the Weka {Ocydromus aus- 

 tralis), belonging to the family RaUidce, and comiiionly called the 

 Wood-hen. It is found everywhere, on the grassy plains and in 

 the forest, as well as near the summits of the mountains amongst 



