MEETINGS OF SOCIETIES. 233 



Mr. .Richardson also alluded, on the authority of Mr. Wilmot, to the 

 depredations of the ferrets in the extensive forest lying between Port 

 Molyneux and Waikawa. He claimed to have placed before the Institute 

 evidence of the presence of the ferret at different points from the 

 Haast river in Westland to Catlin's river, and of the rapid destruction 

 of the kakapo, kiwi, and other ground birds in the western forests. 

 Apart from the regret which must be felt by the naturalist, the 

 wholesale massacre of these interesting fauna, must, he said, seriously 

 interfere with the progress of exploration and prospecting. In the past 

 a party eould venture into the untrodden wilds lying at the back of the 

 Sounds, carrying in the way of provisions nothing beyond salt and 

 oatmeal, tea and sugar, relying upon always securing an ample supply 

 of animal food, but in future the last-named essential would also have to 

 be transported. The increased danger to life would also tend to deter 

 prospectors from continuing investigation of a portion of the province 

 which had already furnished indications of rich mineral deposits. 

 There could be no doubt that very shortly it would be dangerous to 

 camp out in many parts of Otago, especially in those which offered the 

 greatest attractions to tourists and prospectors. He quoted the 

 suggestion of Mr. T. O. Potts that areas of land should " be set 

 aside and held under tapu as to dog and gun. There was, for instance, 

 Resolution Island, amongst the Sounds. It might be proclaimed a 

 public domain, where animals should not be molested under any 

 pretence whatever. Some of the islets of the north-east coast of the 

 North Island might be similarly dealt with." To the localities indicated 

 by Mr. Potts, the speaker thought there might be added the larger 

 islands of Te Anau, Manapouri, and Wakatipu. Mr. M'Kinnon had 

 already successfully transferred the kakapo to Centre Island, Te Anau. 

 By promptly adopting the proposal of Mr. Potts, we might hope to 

 preserve small colonies of those rarer orders of New Zealand bird life 

 whose regrettable disappearance had formed the subject of the paper. 



Mr. F. P. Chapman said he had had an opportunity of observing 

 similar facts to those noted by Mr. Richardson. When he first knew 

 the back country one had only to kneel down and tap a gun stock, and 

 20 or 30 wekas would appear in places where probably not one would 

 be seen now. He was told when he was at Orepuki three or four years 

 ago that in the large forest from the Waiau to Jacob's river the weka 

 had now disappeared, or almost so. Why it had disappeared there he 

 did not know. What they had now to see to was whether any 

 practicable suggestion could be offered for preserving the birds. He was 

 not quite sure that they would wholly disappear from the ranges, but in 

 a country like that of Stewart's Island he thought that it would be 

 possible to preserve them, for, as there would be no rabbits, there 

 seemed to be no particular reason for taking ferrets there. What he 

 would suggest was that, following out Mr. Richardson's suggestion, 

 homes should be made for the native birds where there would be a 

 chance of saving them. Codfish Island, Stewart's Island, and other 

 islands on the east and west coast, Bench Island, even the Snares and 

 the Auckland Islands occurred to him as experimental places, and 

 Captain Fairchild, he had no doubt, would, if applied to, be glad to 

 take the birds from point to point and land them. At the Solaaders 

 also the birds would be tolerably safe. If the birds were to be destroyed 



