CHAP. III.] ABORIGINES. 91 



brisk flight. I fired and killed two or three of them, 

 but generally they come so near that the natives kill 

 them with sticks, in order not to injure the precious 

 tail-feathers. 



In the stomachs of these birds I found fruits of 

 the Elaeocarpus hinau, and also coleopterous and 

 dipterous insects. Mr. Gould's drawing of this bird 

 is most characteristic ; but the tree on which he has 

 placed it, the Corynocarpus Isevigata, is not found 

 in the forest, which is the only habitation of this 

 bird, but grows in open places near the coast. 



The narrow geographical range of this bird, 

 which I have already mentioned, is exceedingly 

 curious ; its extinction, for that reason, may not per- 

 haps be very far distant, unless the bird is to be 

 found in the middle island, which the natives, how- 

 ever, deny to be the case. 



The natives in Port Nicholson belong to the large 

 nation of the Nga-te-awa (river people), and are 

 about 1500 in number. They are subdivided into 

 several smaller tribes, living in the different coves 

 of the harbour. The present natives are not the an- 

 cient inhabitants of the place, but seized it from a 

 tribe called the Nga-te-Kahohunu, after they had 

 themselves been driven from their ancient homes at 

 the foot of Mount Egmont. They received us at 

 our arrival with every mark of friendship, listened 

 to and discussed the subject of our coming among 

 them with great discretion and good judgment, and 

 agreed at last to sell the land ; not, however, without 



