﻿Letters, 
  Extracts, 
  Notices, 
  ^c. 
  283 
  

  

  The 
  Preservation 
  of 
  the 
  Native 
  Birds 
  of 
  New 
  Zealand. 
  — 
  

   In 
  our 
  last 
  number 
  (above, 
  p. 
  158) 
  we 
  gave 
  au 
  abstract 
  of 
  

   an 
  excellent 
  memorandum 
  drawn 
  up 
  by 
  Lord 
  Onslow, 
  late 
  

   Governor 
  of 
  New 
  Zealand, 
  on 
  a 
  plan 
  for 
  the 
  preservation 
  of 
  

   the 
  native 
  birds 
  of 
  that 
  colony 
  by 
  setting 
  apart 
  two 
  islands 
  

   for 
  this 
  purpose, 
  namely 
  Little 
  Barrier 
  or 
  Hauturu 
  Island 
  in 
  

   the 
  north 
  and 
  Resolution 
  Island 
  in 
  the 
  south. 
  As 
  regards 
  

   the 
  first 
  of 
  these 
  islands, 
  we 
  have 
  received 
  a 
  copy 
  of 
  the 
  

   Report 
  by 
  Mr, 
  Henry 
  Wright 
  (addressed 
  to 
  the 
  Hon. 
  John 
  

   Ballance, 
  Premier 
  of 
  New 
  Zealand) 
  upon 
  the 
  subject. 
  Ac- 
  

   cording 
  to 
  Mr. 
  Wright, 
  Hauturu 
  Island, 
  in 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  

   Hauraki, 
  which 
  is 
  almost 
  circular 
  in 
  shape, 
  and 
  contains 
  

   an 
  area 
  of 
  from 
  9000 
  to 
  10,000 
  acres, 
  rising 
  in 
  the 
  middle 
  

   to 
  an 
  elevation 
  of 
  about 
  2000 
  feet, 
  is 
  very 
  well 
  adapted 
  

   for 
  the 
  purpose 
  required. 
  Writing 
  with 
  a 
  thorough 
  know- 
  

   ledge 
  of 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  the 
  North 
  Island, 
  Mr. 
  Wright 
  is 
  able 
  

   to 
  say 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  other 
  part 
  of 
  it 
  where 
  the 
  native 
  

   birds 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  anything 
  like 
  such 
  profusion 
  and 
  

   variety. 
  He 
  gives 
  a 
  list 
  of 
  forty 
  species 
  to 
  be 
  met 
  with 
  

   within 
  its 
  limits, 
  and 
  mentions 
  the 
  Stitch-bird 
  or 
  Kotihe 
  

   {Pogono7'nis 
  cincta) 
  and 
  the 
  large 
  dark 
  Kiwi 
  (Apteri/x 
  bulteri) 
  

   as 
  both 
  found 
  there. 
  There 
  are 
  slight 
  difficulties 
  in 
  the 
  way 
  

   of 
  the 
  project, 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  about 
  a 
  dozen 
  Maoris 
  

   now 
  living 
  on 
  the 
  island, 
  and 
  of 
  a 
  claimant 
  for 
  the 
  timber, 
  

   which, 
  in 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  Kauri 
  pine 
  (Dammara 
  australis), 
  is 
  

   present 
  in 
  large 
  quantities. 
  There 
  are 
  no 
  wekas 
  in 
  the 
  

   island 
  to 
  destroy 
  the 
  birds^-eggs, 
  and 
  there 
  are 
  no 
  bees, 
  

   which, 
  for 
  some 
  reasons, 
  are 
  considered 
  to 
  be 
  inimical 
  to 
  the 
  

   native 
  birds 
  in 
  New 
  Zealand. 
  The 
  wild 
  pigs, 
  formerly 
  

   numerous, 
  have 
  been 
  killed 
  out, 
  and 
  the 
  Mutton-bird 
  ( 
  (Estre- 
  

   lata 
  gouldi), 
  the 
  young 
  of 
  which 
  were 
  formerly 
  eaten 
  by 
  the 
  

   pigs, 
  will 
  consequently 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  breed 
  again 
  undisturbed. 
  

   Cats, 
  unfortunately, 
  are 
  very 
  numerous, 
  but 
  Mr. 
  Wright 
  

   proposes 
  to 
  offer 
  at 
  once 
  a 
  reward 
  for 
  their 
  destruction, 
  which 
  

   is, 
  of 
  course, 
  of 
  great 
  importance. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Wright's 
  report 
  seems 
  quite 
  convincing 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  

   suitability 
  of 
  Hauturu 
  Island 
  for 
  the 
  object 
  in 
  view, 
  but 
  we 
  

   regret 
  to 
  hear 
  that 
  some 
  difficiilties 
  have 
  arisen 
  in 
  the 
  Parlia- 
  

  

  