Native Notes. 
119 
condition but not fat. A fat bird is seldom healthy, and always 
liable to ,i;o off in a fit. In the case of soft-billed birds excessive 
fatness is often caused by feeding on bread and other farinaceous 
food. 
❖-M^) 
Native Notes. 
By J. DkujMMOnd, F.L.S., F.Z..S. 
[ F-.xtracls from cuttings (\k-y .Mr. F. Howe) from the New Zealand press — Ed.] 
Mutton Birds : The ancient ait of nmtton-birding- still is popular with 
Maoris of the southern part of New Zealand. Many of them now are living 
on the islets off the coast of Stewart Island, making the annual toll of the 
thousands of petrels that burrow in the soft soil there. Years ago mutton- 
birding at the proper season was common in nearly all parts of this country 
where Maori settlements had been established, but, so far as I know, it is 
less popular in the North Island tiian formerly. In an^- case, modern appli- 
ances and ideas have improved upon the ancient methods, and a letter from 
Mr, J. A. Brooking, of Te Araroa, close to the Awatere River, south of the 
Fast Ca[)e, suppl_\ ing an account of his first e.xpreiences with mutton-birders 
60 years ago. has an historical, as well as ornithological, value. In 1857, when 
he was a lad of 15, he lived with his foster-parents in a wild and isolated 
part of liawke's Bay. European strangers seldom were seen there, but at a 
certain season of the year parties of Maoris came from a settlement near 
Taupo, some 60 miles away, and took up their abode in a large slab shed close 
to the house. They stayed there for about si.x weeks in order to kill and pre- 
serve mutton-birds, or, as they called them, titi. They brought with them 
five or si.x large gourds. They also had an old-fashioned iron crock. This 
was used for rendering the fat and cooking the flesh. Before this was done 
all the bones were extracted. When the flesh was sufficiently cooked it was 
allowed to cool, and then was packed tightly in the gourds, each gourd hold- 
ing the flesh of about 100 birds. The melted fat was poured in, covering the 
flesh and filling up the crevices. The mouth of the gourd was then pluggcl 
tightly, and the food was ready to be sent to Taupo. 
The homestead was in a wide valley, about 1500 ft. above sea level. 
This valley runs back, with few interruptions, 15 or 16 miles to the mountain 
In front of the homestead site the land declines gradually to the coast of the 
bay, which is in a straight line, about 35 miles distant. Close to the home- 
stead site there is a small conical hill, with a flat top, about one chain across. 
The hill was known as Puke-titi — the titi hill — and the Maoris stated that it 
was a celebrated place for the slaughter of titi, and had had its reputation for 
many generations. The valley, apparently, was in the direct course followed 
