160 MUTTON BIRDS 



from him, is help denied to half the indigenous 

 birds of New Zealand. 



The plumage of the Stewart Island Weka is 

 chestnut in hue, his legs are reddish, his bill also 

 reddish at its base, in fact he is altogether a 

 much more handsome bird than our North 

 Island species. One splendid male it was the 

 mate of the two hens who were never tired of 

 exploring and re-exploring the vacated Kiwi's 

 nest was of a rich red brown, his feathers 

 shining Avith resplendent health. I had a long 

 look at him in repose as he emerged from the 

 surrounding ferns, and roared, within a yard of 

 me, at his wives, who probably are as lightheaded 

 and volatile as are the Pukeko hens. 



The whistling call of this breed is always 

 uttered very much faster than the more 

 deliberate call of the northerner; and the 

 Stewart Island Weka has a much larger range 

 of calls and notes, most of which are dissimilar 

 to those of the North Island bird. 



Except about the settlements, the stretches of 

 drifting sands, and the saturated peats of the 

 mountain tops, everywhere he is abundant. Eggs 

 and young birds of certain species no doubt, he 

 takes in spring and summer, rats and mice when 

 obtainable, but beetles, worms, grubs, and snails, 

 slugs, roots, and berries, are provided at all 

 seasons by the forests and open lands; whilst 

 the stony beaches of the inlets and coasts, fur- 

 nish shell-fish and crabs. It is when these birds 

 are seen prowling along wet shores, dislodging 

 stones as large as turnips in their open bills 

 the Weka does not pull them towards him, he 

 moves them entirely by grasp of mandibles it 

 is then, or when, rising to full height, he delivers 



