84 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 
was unable to obtain one, alive or dead, or even to see askin. I think this 
singular alteration in the bird’s numbers has been noticed in Southland. 
This bird, although not at all shy, is very pugnacious, and can defend its 
young from either the rat or the cat, hence, probably, its singular increase. 
The huia ( Heteralocha acutirostris) was then to be found in the ranges 
between Wainuiomata and Palliser Bay. Dr. Dieffenbach, the naturalist, 
was anxious to obtain some, and I accompanied him, making sketches, to 
the high range that overlooks Palliser Bay. The natives are very fond 
of the feathers of this handsome, dark, velvetty bird, with its yellow 
wattles and white-tipped tail, and two boys readily went with us as guides. 
There was no occasion to take much food into the bush in those days—the 
gun supplied game enough—and though the month was September, one 
blanket was considered sufficient bedding for the open-air bivouac. 
We struck in from near Lowry Bay, and reached the source of the Orongo 
stream before night. There was no path whatever. We shot some kakas 
and snared a kokako, but saw no huias. We made a good fire as night 
approached. The natives were awfully afraid of the Wairarapa people, 
against whom they had lately fought, and while we slept with our feet near 
the fire, they sat crouched, with our guns in their hands, listening to detect 
any possibly approaching footsteps, for they were on the debateable land of 
the two tribes. 
The only sound worth notieing was the beautiful melody, towards 
morning, of the bell-birds. Thousands of these were singing together, 
and, probably by some auricular delusion, the sound seemed to arrange 
itself into scales, like peals of bells running down octaves. As the sun rose 
this musie eeased altogether. From the top of the range we had a fine 
view of Palliser Bay and the Wairarapa Lakes. On our way homeward the 
natives suddenly stopped; they heard in the distance the peculiar cry of the 
huia. Imitating this, and adding a peculiar croak of their own, which they 
said was very attractive, our guides soon brought two birds—a male and 
female—within shooting distance. We abstained from firing for a moment, 
admiring the elegant movements of these birds as they leaped from tree to 
tree, peering inquisitively at us, and gradually coming nearer. We now 
fired with light charges, and brought each a bird down. Our natives were 
annoyed at our ''grifüinism." They had intended, by a further allure- 
ment of a peculiar gutteral croak, to have brought the birds so near as to 
capture them with a common slip-knot at the end of a stick—a process 
which we saw subsequently performed with entire success. As we 
descended the spur near the mouth of the Hutt River, a whale and its 
calf were tumbling about between Lowry Bay and Somes’ Island. They 
were *'finbacks," and of no commercial value, 
