374 SPORTING IN BOTH HEMISPHERES. 



there are very few varieties of birds. Wild-fowl, and a very 

 fine species of wild-pigeon, are abundant, one or two of the 

 parrot genus, and there are no reptiles. A great naturalist, 

 who has penetrated far into the interior, says that New 

 Zealand appears to be in so juvenile a state, that we have 

 attempted to colonize it a thousand years before its time." 



All this description we found amply illustrated upon our 

 first entry into a New Zealand forest, and therefore confined 

 ourselves more to the outskirts than the interior. During 

 the early part of the morning we followed the course of a 

 stream that flowed from the woods towards the sea, and saw 

 and shot several teal and widgeon, but having no dog we 

 found much difficulty in retrieving them, and turned our 

 steps to the hills, where, on the borders of the forest, we 

 expected to meet with some of the large and delicious pigeons 

 we had heard so much of, and which at this season were 

 feeding on a favourite ripe berry, and in high perfection. 

 Nor were we disappointed in the objects of our search; for 

 we had scarcely entered some of the accessible and um- 

 brageous glades, when their cooing betrayed their presence 

 in the trees around us, and a native Maori, who had accom- 

 panied us, soon pointed them out to us amidst the leaves 

 and boughs, with a practised and infallible eye far superior 

 to our own. 



The first bird that I potted from his quiet though rather 

 distant perch absolutely burst with fat as he came to the 

 earth, and was about twice the size of our common pigeon,* 

 and we continued to knock them over for some time in this 

 quiet and unsportsmanlike manner, until we procured quite 

 as many as our attendant could conveniently carry. We 

 observed a smoke at some distance, and, upon approaching, 



* Specimens of the Wonga-wonga are now to be seen in the Zoological 

 Gardens. 



