Sydney Porter—Notes on New Zealand Birds



409



good berry season the birds become so fat that if shot they burst with

the force of falling to the ground.


A dead bird was found under the karaka-tree near our tent, having

been choked by an extra-large berry ; it was exceedingly fat and

heavy and must have turned the scale at several pounds.


Buller states that this bird is strictly arboreal, but I have frequently

seen it on the ground feeding on the leaves on some small weed in the

caretaker’s garden on the Little Barrier.


The colonists are able to tell by the flight whether the bird is fat

or otherwise. Usually it is at its best when the miro berries are ripe.

After feeding upon these berries the birds get very thirsty and in the

old days the Maoris took advantage of this by placing troughs of water

made out of hollowed logs up in the trees. When the birds became

accustomed to drinking out of them nooses were placed in such a

position that when they raised their heads they were caught.

The Pigeons formed the chief source of animal food of the inland tribes

of the Maoris. When large numbers of birds were caught they were

potted down in their own fat for further use. The irridescent feathers

were used in the making of beautiful cloaks, the white and green

feathers being arranged in various patterns. The cloaks which I saw

were in green and white checks, and very beautiful they looked. In

the making of these cloaks a thin base of fine flax was woven and the

feathers individually woven in. Much labour and patience would be

needed to make even a small one. There is a cloak in the Auckland

Museum composed wholly of the tail feathers of Tuis. Hundreds of

birds must have been killed in the making of this garment.


The Blue Wattled Crow (Callceas wilsoni )


My first and only sight of this strange bird was of one as it flashed.

across the road when I was motoring through the Urewera country. I

was thrilled even with the fleeting glance, for to-day this is one of the

rarest of New Zealand birds. The manager of the hostel at

Waikaremoana told me he had only seen it once in three years.


Why this bird is called a “ crow ” I do not know, for it is not related

to, neither does it resemble a Crow. It is a very distinct form

with no near affinities. It is about the size of a Mistle Thrush with



