The Mountain Duck 



I HE geographical formation of 

 Tutira — conglomerate and 

 limestone superposed on 

 ^'papa" — is well suited to 

 the ''Blue," or "Mountain 

 Duck." Throughout the centuries our 

 streams have chafed through the harder 

 limestone and deeply eaten into the soft 

 clay rock. The more open and larger 

 streams are full of immense limestone 

 boulders borne down on land slips, the 

 narrower gorges quite precipitous are mostly 

 pebble paved, their little tumbling streams 

 completely over-arched in parts with tutu, 

 koromiko, and fern. 



In many of these latter every stretch of 

 three or fom* miles supports a pair of 

 Blue Ducks, whilst in our largest stream, 

 tJie Waikahau, there is a far larger carry- 

 ing capacit}^, and several pair breed there 



