THE HUIA 89 



The difference is so marked that, when these birds were first 

 made known to science, many ornithologists could hardly believe 

 that they belonged to one species. ]\Ir. J. Gould, the author of 

 Birds of Australia, concluded from the formation of the bills 

 that there were two distinct species, and he gave them distinct 

 names, but he afterwards rectified his error. Another writer, 

 Dr. Selater, states that such a divergence in the structure of the 

 beak of the two sexes is very uncommon, and is scarcely paralleled 

 in the class of birds. He adds that it is difficult to guess at the 

 reason for the anomaly, or to explain it on Darwinian or any 

 other principles. 



Another interesting feature about the huias is the fact, well 

 known to almost all residents of New Zealand, that the Maoris 

 once used the ivory-tipped tail feathers as head-ornaments, 

 denoting tribal rank, such as that of raugatira. Several 

 specimens of the species w^ere obtained by Dr. Dieffenbach when 

 he was in the colony. Meriting in 1836, he said that the tail 

 feathers were then in great request among the Maoris in the 

 districts freciuented by the bird. The coveted emblems of rank 

 were often sent as presents to friends in all parts of the North 

 Island. "These fine birds," he wrote, "can only be obtained 

 with the help of a native, w^ho calls them with a shrill and long- 

 continued whistle, resembling the sound of the native game of 

 the species. After an extensive journey in the hilly forest in 

 search of them, I had at last the pleasure of seeing four alight 

 on the lower branches of the trees near which the native 

 accompanying me stood. They came as cpick as lightning, 

 descending from branch to branch, spreading out their tails, and 

 throwing out their wings. Anxious to obtain them, I fired; but 

 they generally come so near that the natives kill them with 

 sticks." 



In olden times, some of the IMaoris seem to have given a 

 considerable portion of their time to capturing huias. The Rev. 

 W. Colenso, in one of his articles on the Maoris, refers to an 

 eccentric old chief and tohunga, named Pipimoho, who lived 

 near Castle Point. He was the only person in those parts who 

 knew how and where to capture huias. For a long time he had 



