OF NEW ZEALAND. 69 
thickness of the foliage and the strength of the 
plant. 
Katatai — This bird answers nearest to the Sfod- 
wit, of any I am acquainted with. It feeds upon 
the sea-shore, and in sandy grounds. It is about 
sixteen inches long, from the point of the beak to 
the end of the tail. Its plumage is much varie- 
gated, striped with black, and edged with a prim- 
rose colour. Its legs are very slender, for the 
size of the body. It is doubtless a bird of the 
plover kind, and its habits are similar to those of 
that bird. It is much sought after by the natives ; 
but is most difficult to procure, being roused by 
the slightest noise, and very swift of wing. 
I am not aware that there are any sea-birds, or 
birds which are confined to the beach, that are 
peculiar to New Zealand. The rocks in the bays 
and rivers abound with feathered inhabitants, who 
come there to make their nests and rear their 
young. We have the petrel, cormorant, curlew ; 
a great variety of the shag, and the albatross ; 
the gannet, and the penguin ; the great auk and 
tern ; with all the variety of gulls. In some of 
my trips, I have seen the albatross caught of an 
immense size, measuring, from tip to tip of the 
wing, sixteen, and from that to nineteen feet, with 
a plumage most splendidly profuse — white, tinged 
with light pink. The natives of New Zealand 
are very anxious to'^obtain these birds, on account 
of their feathers. They will remain out in their 
canoes many days, and think themselves amply 
