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THE ZOOLOGIST. 



water near his house, and identified them from 1 Morris's Birds,' to 

 which he pins his faith, and he felt chagrined when I suggested Coot. 

 At the time indicated the wind blew hard from the north and north- 

 east, which would be against such a sea-loving species being "blown 

 in " from the southern coast ; yet, if no mistake was made in identi- 

 fication, it is interesting, as I have but one previous record, many 

 years ago, of its occurrence near here. We are not many miles from 

 the sea in a direct line, and as I have known such species as the 

 Guillemot and Razorbill to be met with on rare occasions, the 

 presence of Scoters was a possibility, but I have not heard that any 

 other person saw them. — G. B. C. 



EDITORIAL GLEANINGS. 



Mr. James Drummond, in a contribution to the ' Lyttelton Times ' 

 (Christchurch, N.Z.), of January 23rd last, has found his subject in 

 " Eels and their Movements." He states, on the authority of Mr. 

 R. C. Bruce, of Ngaruru, Hunterville, in the Rangitikei District, that 

 much of our present knowledge " supports the observations of the 

 ancient Maoris, who, as he says, like other races who are wrongly 

 called ' savages,' were close observers of Nature. The Maoris, indeed, 

 were in possession of knowledge in this respect for many generations. 

 A few years ago, he says, some difficulties arose amongst Wairarapa 

 Maoris in connection with the outlet to the Wairarapa Lake. To 

 settle the dispute, the Maoris referred, with a confidence that showed 

 their familiarity with the subject, to the Eels' annual movements 

 towards the sea. A friend of Mr. Bruce, who was present at the 

 discussions, told him that the Maoris stated that there were annual 

 migratory movements, with intervals between, by three different 

 kinds of Eels. Old Maoris on the west coast of the North Island 

 state that when the Eels go towards the sea in a large body they are 

 led by two individuals of an enormous size. Mr. John R. Macdonald, 

 of Levin, told Mr. Bruce that he once saw one of these migrations, 

 with two large Eels in the van. Overland journeys at night, which 

 is characteristic of some Eels, have been noted in New Zealand. Mr. 

 Bruce has been told by some very old Maori friends that they have 

 known Eels to undertake fairly long land journeys by night. On one 

 occasion the Maoris had camped for the night on a spur that is the 

 watershed between the Wangaehu and Manguwhero Rivers. About 

 midnight their attention was arrested by their dog, which was much 

 excited, and was barking furiously. When they went out to ascertain 

 the cause of the disturbance they found that the dog was following up 

 an enormous Eel, which was on one of its land journeys." 



