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888 Transactions.—Zooloiy. 
signs of gold, though there is plenty of quartz near MeDon Creek, and 
quartz has been found adhering to gold got at the Forks, «ad also in the 
Wateroa. lf good reefs were to be discovered they would be of great use in 
opening up the back country and restoring the now fast-decaying town of 
Okarito. 
Leaving the consideration of the inanimate productions of the district, if 
we consider the eonformation of the country, sloping away from the main 
range in hills and terraces to the sea-level, we perceive that it is a favourable 
spot for the occurrence of those.forms of animal and vegetable life for which 
this * Bird and Fern Land’ is noted. 
In the sub-alpine, and even alpine regions, are found large numbers of 
those curious birds, commonly ealled kiwis and rowis, now the last repre- 
sentatives of that peculiar struthious avi-fauna that once roamed over these 
islands. Although moa bones have been ‘found in places all over the South 
Island, their occurrence in Westland is unknown to me. I should be glad 
to learn if any remains were ever obtained in the neighbourhood of the 
Haast River, as there seems to be no very great obstacle to their passage 
from the eastern plains in that direction. Two other birds are peculiar to 
the alpine regions, the kakapo ( Stringops habroptilus) and the kea ( Nestor 
notabilis) ; the former is getting very scarce now, in consequence of its 
falling an easy victim to dogs and eats that have taken to the bush. In the 
centre zone or lower hills we find a larger number of perching birds, pigeons 
and kakas, etc., and also along the river-beds swarms of Maori hens 
( Ocydromus australis), ete. This impudent and inquisitive bird furnishes a 
much-prized article of food to diggers and prospectors. A good dog will 
sometimes catch sixty or seventy in one night. The bodies of the birds are 
split open and smoked, and will then keep along time. Their oil is much 
valued, and is used for as many purposes as Holloway’s pills, being an 
ingredient in many a damper, and an infallible remedy for bruises and 
rheumatism, besides being used for the general purposes of fat and grease. 
Attached to this paper will be found a list of all the birds I have seen since 
I have been here, together with those that are, no doubt, found here, but 
which are only included from trustworthy report; these have a mark 
affixed to them. 
From this list it appears that the district contains representatives of 
almost every species of land bird found in the South Island, with few 
exceptions. Many of the petrels, puffins and other sea birds are doubiless 
seen off the coast in bad weather, but few come ashore. This district 
claims, as pre-eminently its noblest bird, the beautiful white heron (Ardea 
alba), formerly remarkably numerous. I regret to say that since certain 
miscreants destroyed a quantity of nearly hatched eggs, they have slightly 
