196 Transactions. — Zoology. 



a party of stragglers in Sulphur Bay, in the Rotorua Lake (ahout forty 

 miles from the sea coast), no doubt brought inland by the easterly gales, 

 which sometimes prevail for a considerable time without intermission. On 

 the Tauranga coast he has obtained large " bags" during the shooting 

 season ; and on one occasion, at Cemetery Point, killed ninety-seven at a 

 single shot with a heavy charge of No. 5 from an ordinary fov/hng-piece. 

 This will give some idea of their numbers, and of the close manner in which 

 they were packed together. Thousands were crowding upon each other on 

 an insular sand-bank, and numbers more were hovering overhead in the 

 vain attempt to find a footing among their fellows. As he was " shooting 

 for the pot," he concealed himself with floating kelp, and crawled up under 

 water till the birds were within easy range. 



The natives catch large numbers of them by spreading flax snares 

 horizontally on manuka sticks twelve or fifteen feet high, and arranged in 

 the following manner : — A number of stakes are driven into the ground at 

 equal distances so as to cover the area of the customary resting-place. A 

 perfect network of flax-loops or running nooses, about twelve or fifteen 

 inches in diameter, are then spread or hung in such a way as to form a 

 canopy or roof supported by the stakes. The birds on assembling in the 

 evening fly low and take up their position on the resting-ground to wait 

 for the ebb of the tide. At this conjuncture the natives spring out from 

 their concealment with lighted torches. The birds at once rise vertically, 

 in confusion and alarm, and large numbers become entangled and caught in 

 the running loops, sometimes as many as 200 being captured at one time 

 in snares covering a space of twenty by forty yards. These snares are only 

 set on calm and dark nights, for the obvious reasons that, if there was any 

 wind, the loops would become disarranged, and that on moonlight nights 

 the birds would see the nets and avoid them. Sometimes during wet 

 easterly weather in summer the feathers of these birds become so saturated 

 that they are unable to fly. The natives take advantage of this and capture 

 large numbers of them by running them down. 



From what has been said, it may be inferred that they are esteemed 

 good eating by both settlers and Maoris. The latter always cook the bird 

 unopened, and devour the contents of the stomach with a relish. When 

 very fat they are potted in the orthodox fashion and " calabashed " for 

 future use. 



I have never met with a native who could tell me anything about the 

 breeding habits of the godwit, and it has become a proverb amongst them : 

 " "Who has seen the nest of the Kuaka ?" Nor has the egg of this species 

 yet been met with in any of the other countries which it is known to visit. 



