IMPORTANCE OF NEW ZEALAND BIRDS 21 
to the store of knowledge. Moreover, more has been 
done recently by means of the camera and field- 
glasses than ever before. The mystery of how the 
Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) deposited her eggs was — 
recently solved by Mr. Chance, by means of the 
former. He produced photographs showing that in 
every case the Cuckoo actually laid her egg in her 
victim’s nest, whereas up till now it was thought 
that she first laid on the ground, then lifted the egg 
to its destination by means of her bill. 
More patience is required to shoot a bird with 
field-glasses than to ‘‘down’’ it with a gun, but the 
results are correspondingly better. 
To observe birds is not a waste of time. In the 
first place it teaches accuracy in sorting out the 
facts ascertained, and secondly it is the most valuable 
training to the senses.. No one who ean identify a 
bird by its note or flight, is likely to be lacking in 
his powers of observation in other respects. This 
fact was revealed during the Great War, as many 
of the enemy spies owed their detection to the alert- 
ness of our naturalists. Also everybody is familiar 
with the fact that in the days gone by it was owing 
to their superior woodlore that the Red Indians 
were able to detect their enemies’ whereabouts, and 
their opponents had to learn the secrets of Nature 
before they could combat them successfully. 
Moreover the day has come when the old saying 
“*A bird in the hand is worth two in a bush’’ is no 
longer true. The study of birds in their natural 
surroundings should be the aim of every naturalist, 
and how can we attain this better than by seeing 
first and foremost that our birds, those unrivalled 
denizens of New Zealand, are well protected. 
Note.—The foregoing facts, in so far as they relate to 
foreign birds, will mainly be found in Pyeraft’s ‘‘A History 
of Birds.’’ 
