368 TUTIRA 



from coast to mountain ridge along which during the 'nineties rabbits 

 were not filtering towards Hawke's Bay towards Tutira. It was an 

 invasion which, however disgusting to the sheep-farmer, was full of 

 interest to the field naturalist. 



The physiography of Tutira has been described, a series of slopes 

 precipitous to the west, tilted gently to the east, and fissured by ravines. 

 It was a pattern well adapted to illustrate the rabbits' desire to follow 

 a definite direction. The invasion moved from south to north, the 

 ravines on the other hand ran east and west, at right angles, that is, 

 to the line of trek. On the high ranges of the west these natural 

 obstacles to progress were particularly formidable. On many the 

 gorges began within a few chains, sometimes within a few yards, of 

 the ridge-cap. Only rabbits, therefore, moving along the very summit 

 could proceed. All others found their progress barred, discovered 

 themselves on the brinks of precipices, many of which were fifty or 

 sixty feet in height. It was impossible for them to remain for any 

 length of time on barren cliff-edges. By natural enemies, necessity 

 of food- supply, fear of the open, and lack of burrow accommodation, 

 they were eventually forced either once more to the summit or down- 

 wards to more accessible country. Thus barred from their selected 

 line of progress many were forced downhill, and reached after a time 

 the great pumiceous trough of the run. 



Through this, then, bleak forbidding country ran east and west the 

 main stock-route of the station, the trail by which sheep are driven to 

 the distant paddocks and mustered homewards for shearing. It varied 

 in width from five to ten yards, and for miles passed through fern-lands 

 bare of grass. Now it might have been anticipated that rabbits thus 

 finding themselves on an open road, a smooth space hedged in by deep 

 bracken, would have been content to accept it without question. Far 

 from this happening, however, the east and west stock-route was used 

 no longer than was necessary to find northward leading exits. No pig- 

 trail however narrow, no sheep-track however overgrown, no fence-line 

 however little trodden, that branched off northwards, was neglected. 

 Kabbits caught by the contractor and his trappers were found in the 

 extreme northern points of the blind spurs. On such spots the vermin 

 stayed, blocked by impassable ravines, never attempting, as far as could 

 be judged by signs, to retrace their path. Spots unexplored in former 

 times, even by shepherds, even by myself whilst pig-hunting in early 



