Thk Zoologist— September, 1874. 4151 



refugees on strange, perhaps sparely-furnished feeding grounds — 

 lose their chance of increase for the year; hence the match, after 

 all, does more execution than the gun, even at a battue. When at 

 length we can find leisure to raise our thoughts from to-daj to care 

 and to act for to-morrow, this state of things will no longer be 

 endured ; the commercial element will step in and record its veto 

 against destruction, not from any feehng of sentiment, — for com- 

 merce, whose only real law is gain, would chaffer away every tree 

 in the country if a margin of profit attended the transaction, — but 

 because it will find out that the jireservalion of forests can be made 

 to pay. 



At times it has appeared as if the advisability of fostering and 

 encouraging the reproduction of many useful species of our fauna 

 had taken hold of the minds of the people, and legislative enact- 

 ments have pointed in that direction ; but the advance has been 

 but slow and halting, notwithstanding the encouraging success 

 that has attended the introduction of the present imperfect laws 

 for the protection of animals. It would not be difl[icult to show 

 that the extension of the schedule of protected species would be 

 beneficial to the colony: we import so-called insectivorous birds 

 at a vast outlay, and kill off our own insect-eaters in countless 

 numbers. 



After paying attention for many years to the habits of our birds, 

 it is confessedly a matter of difficulty to understand what principle 

 has guided the selection of protected species. For instance, we 

 profess to shield those beautiful waders, the stilts, during the 

 breeding season, and with superfluous care other birds which are 

 not known to exist here ; yet on what food do our native Chara- 

 driidse live, that they should be overlooked } We protect the 

 bittern, whilst the noble-looking kotuku is exposed to the mur- 

 derous gun at all times in the year ; the lui is cared for, whilst the 

 ticke, kiwi, and flocks of other useful birds may be exterminated 

 without a word. 



The idea at once suggests itself that the New Zealand Institute 

 might do good work in advocating the protection of such species 

 as, from a knowledge of their habits, it could recommend as being 

 of service to the country. The first step taken, other advantages 

 might accrue from the interposition of the Institute. Under its 

 direction a list could be prepared of desiderata of real value, as 

 welcome additions to the fauna or flora of those remote isles; a list 



