﻿Hamilton. 
  — 
  On 
  the 
  District 
  of 
  Okarito, 
  Wcstland. 
  389 
  

  

  diininislied 
  in 
  number, 
  though 
  many 
  still 
  ornament 
  the 
  upper 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  

   lagoon 
  and 
  the 
  river 
  on 
  which 
  they 
  breed, 
  on 
  which 
  river 
  there 
  is 
  also 
  a 
  

   shaggery 
  / 
  C. 
  brcvirostvis 
  and 
  carho). 
  Another 
  very 
  handsome 
  and 
  remark- 
  

   able 
  bird, 
  the 
  crested 
  grebe 
  ( 
  Podiccps 
  cnstatiis) 
  is 
  tolerably 
  plentiful 
  on 
  the 
  

   lagoon 
  and 
  smaller 
  lakes. 
  The 
  Okarito 
  Lagoon 
  has 
  been 
  formed 
  from 
  a 
  

   large 
  bay 
  by 
  the 
  silting 
  up 
  of 
  successive 
  bars 
  of 
  sand 
  and 
  shingle, 
  through 
  

   which 
  the 
  river 
  and 
  streams 
  flowing 
  into 
  it 
  have 
  had 
  to 
  force 
  their 
  way, 
  

   Within 
  the 
  past 
  month 
  a 
  succession 
  of 
  heavy 
  southerly 
  winds 
  raised 
  a 
  huge 
  

   bar 
  of 
  sand 
  and 
  shut 
  up 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  river. 
  The 
  consequence 
  of 
  course 
  

   was 
  that 
  the 
  water 
  rose 
  till 
  a 
  channel 
  was 
  cut 
  through 
  the 
  bar 
  and 
  the 
  

   water 
  liberated. 
  It 
  is 
  six 
  or 
  seven 
  miles 
  from 
  the 
  town 
  of 
  Okarito 
  to 
  the 
  

   head 
  of 
  the 
  lagoon, 
  by 
  a 
  tortuous 
  channel, 
  now 
  winding 
  amongst 
  the 
  mud 
  

   flats, 
  uncovered 
  at 
  low 
  water, 
  and 
  abounding 
  in 
  pipis 
  and 
  cockles, 
  small 
  

   crabs 
  and 
  other 
  animals 
  peculiar 
  to 
  brackish 
  water; 
  and 
  now 
  flowing 
  

   between 
  bushes 
  and 
  shrubs 
  with 
  a 
  channel 
  ten 
  or 
  twelve 
  feet 
  deep, 
  and 
  

   wide 
  enough 
  to 
  have 
  admitted 
  a 
  steamer, 
  the 
  Woodpecker, 
  I 
  think, 
  once 
  

   upon 
  a 
  time. 
  Amongst 
  these 
  bush-covered 
  points 
  and 
  islands 
  are 
  quiet 
  

   nooks 
  in 
  which 
  you 
  may 
  come 
  suddenly 
  upon 
  a 
  flock 
  of 
  black 
  teal 
  (Faligula 
  

   novcB-zealandice 
  ) 
  , 
  or 
  a 
  party 
  of 
  grey 
  ducks 
  will 
  rise 
  with 
  a 
  great 
  commotion, 
  

   increased 
  by 
  the 
  harsh 
  scream 
  of 
  the 
  paradise 
  duck 
  (C. 
  variegata). 
  I 
  am 
  

   glad 
  to 
  see 
  that 
  the 
  black 
  swan 
  ( 
  C. 
  atrata) 
  is 
  now 
  well 
  established 
  in 
  this 
  

   district; 
  they 
  have 
  increased 
  very 
  rapidly 
  within 
  the 
  last 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  

   years. 
  I 
  have 
  seen 
  as 
  many 
  as 
  fifty, 
  with 
  a 
  lot 
  of 
  young 
  cygnets, 
  in 
  sight 
  

   at 
  one 
  time. 
  Some 
  of 
  them 
  occasionally 
  go 
  down 
  south 
  somewhere, 
  in 
  

   flocks 
  of 
  six 
  or 
  eight, 
  for 
  a 
  few 
  days. 
  Seeking 
  their 
  food 
  on 
  the 
  mud 
  flats 
  at 
  

   low 
  water 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  pied 
  redbills 
  (H. 
  longirostrisj, 
  curlews, 
  plovers, 
  dot- 
  

   terels, 
  and 
  the 
  pretty 
  lake 
  gull 
  (Lams 
  hullerij. 
  On 
  going 
  inland 
  the 
  

   silence 
  of 
  the 
  bush 
  is 
  broken 
  by 
  the 
  peculiar 
  notes 
  of 
  the 
  bell-bird 
  (A. 
  mela- 
  

   nuraj 
  and 
  the 
  tui 
  ( 
  Prosthanadera 
  novcc-zealandice) 
  , 
  especially 
  where 
  the 
  rata 
  

   shows 
  its 
  crimson 
  flowers, 
  from 
  extracting 
  the 
  juices 
  of 
  which, 
  with 
  their 
  

   brush-like 
  tongues, 
  they 
  are 
  often 
  disturbed 
  by 
  the 
  kaka 
  who 
  forsakes 
  the 
  

   grub-infested 
  log 
  for 
  the 
  honey 
  of 
  the 
  flower. 
  The 
  demand 
  for 
  feather 
  

   trimmings 
  and 
  kiwi 
  skin 
  muffs 
  has 
  caused 
  the 
  slaughter 
  of 
  a 
  great 
  number 
  

   of 
  birds 
  in 
  this 
  district 
  and 
  further 
  south. 
  Though 
  the 
  poor 
  kiwis 
  have 
  a 
  

   slight 
  respite 
  from 
  their 
  former 
  persecutor, 
  there 
  is 
  another 
  on 
  their 
  track 
  

   with 
  large 
  orders 
  from 
  London 
  houses, 
  and 
  no 
  doubt 
  he 
  will 
  considerably 
  

   reduce 
  their 
  numbers. 
  I 
  must 
  now 
  apologise 
  for 
  the 
  superficial 
  manner 
  in 
  

   which 
  I 
  have 
  run 
  over 
  the 
  subjects 
  I 
  have 
  brought 
  before 
  your 
  notice, 
  and 
  

   I 
  trust 
  when 
  my 
  collections 
  are 
  more 
  complete, 
  that 
  I 
  shall 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  

   present 
  to 
  the 
  Society 
  a 
  list 
  of 
  the 
  plants, 
  etc., 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  neighbourhood, 
  

   and 
  to 
  supplement 
  this 
  paper 
  with 
  further 
  particulars 
  of 
  other 
  objects 
  of 
  

   interest. 
  

  

  