front New Zealand and adjacent Islands. 



549 



chickens to the beach, and during all that time they go 

 backwards and forwards over the ground till they make a 

 regular beaten track by which they can easily be followed 

 to the nest. Should I attempt to take the eggs, the sitting 

 bird, whether it be male or female, will not leave the nest, 

 and resists being pulled off with all its might. It pecks at 



Text-fiff. 33. 



iw mi - 



»»' ^»\» ' 



South-Island Wood-hen and Nest. 



one's hand, but never hard enough to break the skin. Wekas 

 sleep in some warm spot on the ground, and are consequently 

 easily attacked and killed by stoats and weasels. I mention 

 this, because even the most intelligent of our people attribute 

 the destruction of the Wekas to the poisoned grain laid for 



