3] 
man for undergoing such fatigue and danger as would be necessary 
if a person went in search for it. See Mr. Brunner’s journal, who 
was eighteen months exploring about 150 miles, and who, had it not 
been for his native companions, must have been starved if he had 
twenty lives. 
The Kakapo is now pretty well known; it appears to be tolerably 
abundant on the Middle Island, though probably quite or nearly ex- 
tinct on this. I have seen several specimens, and the Acheron 
steamer on her late expedition I believe obtained a great many, as 
well as Kiwis, so that, on her return to England, I suppose there will 
be plenty. 
I have had good accounts from the natives of a very large Kiwi 
existing within their memory, but now supposed to be extinct on this 
island ; it is represented as being at least four feet high. Perhaps 
that may be still found on the other island. There are also names 
for five or six other good-sized ground birds, such as large rails, &c., 
lately existing here, but since the introduction of so many dogs and 
cats, supposed to be extinct. One was shot the other day near the 
town, of a species of which I had seen but one specimen previously ; 
it may be Rallus assimilis, but I have not the skins to compare. 
There is also, about thirty miles from here, a very pretty little duck 
_or teal, which is not described. These are the only novelties I have 
seen since my return. I have had several Kiwis brought me, and 
also a few eggs; I had one for breakfast, which was very good and 
quite enough for one. I sent one last year to the British Museum. 
I have made many inquiries about the extinct native rat, but there 
are certainly none now to be obtained, though formerly they were so 
numerous as to form a principal article in feasts, and were considered 
avery great delicacy ; they lived on berries, &c., and were like lumps 
of fat; it is possible they were a kind of opossum rather than a rat. 
The last were seen here about ten years ago; but the cats and rats, of 
which the woods are now full everywhere, have destroyed them all. 
I think there are two kinds of native mice here; one, a sort of shrew, 
which my dog formerly often caught in the swamps, but which I have 
not seen lately; another, a little blackish one, found about fields and 
gardens ; this one I have only seen since my return. The natives do 
not know it, and confound it with the common house mouse, but I 
do not think it can be an introduced species, as in that case it would 
scarcely so quickly be found in thousands over so large a tract of 
country as that in which it was observed last year (I have seen none 
lately), but rather believe it to be an indigenous species, which from 
some unknown cause appeared for a short time in astonishing num- 
bers, and then as strangely disappeared. 
Insects are so very few, that they are really not worth the great 
trouble of looking after. I have seen no new species since my return. 
I know of only five or six butterflies. The largest land shell here is 
a flat snail, about a quarter of an inch in diameter. 
