98 MUTTON BIRDS 



instance in February, the dog had never hunted 

 Kiwi, though he knew all other birds but too well. 

 For the briefest possible space he wore the look 

 I remember to have noticed in a young spaniel 

 at Home, when he first scented roe in the coverts. 

 I think from that hesitancy, as if at an 

 imperfectly recalled scent, also from the height 

 at which he seemed to catch it, and lastly from 

 his plunge at the rope a dash rather than a 

 pounce that the bird was a Kiwi and again 

 feeding in the day time. I am convinced indeed 

 that twice or thrice Banjo was on the 

 scent of Kiwi feeding or lying out during the 

 day time, at any rate not in lodge. 



There were perceptible differences on these 

 occasions in the dog's method and emotions, but 

 the differences were as slight as those evinced 

 by a spaniel on the scent of rabbit, pheasant, 

 hare, or wood-cock. Finally, I believe the bird 

 drawn from his hole by Banjo had been, 

 immediately before our arrival, off his egg. The 

 little we know of that mystery called scent leads 

 us to suppose that it rather falls than rises ; and 

 Banjo, when he snatched his rope from my 

 hands, had burst into scent overwhelmingly 

 strong among the water fern and six feet at least 

 above the nesting hole. A sitting bird, moreover, 

 gives off comparatively no scent, as we actually 

 experienced in the discovery of our first Kiwi 

 nest, when Banjo, who possessed an excellent 

 nose, had to be shown the hole before he owned 

 the bird. 



This fine breed of Kiwi is still plentiful in the 

 woods of the southern part of Stewart Island, 

 and protection alone is required to ensure its 

 survival. 



