OUR NATURALIST'S NOTE-BOOK.
"It is impossible to imagine, in the wildest and most picturesque
walks of Nature, a sight more sublime and majestic, or which can
more forcibly challenge the admiration of the traveller, than a New
Zealand forest,"—writes an early voyager to this country. From the
first, those who visited these shores were struck with the extent and
beauty of our forests, the size of the trees, and the wealth of the
vegetation. And, at the present day, the emigrant from Scotland or
England, brought here into the depths of the bush, fails not to feel
his inmost nature responding to the glory and the grandeur of the
scenery.
The woodlands of Northern New Zealand may be divided into two general
classes, the heavy bush and the light bush. The first is the true
primeval forest, the growth, probably, of two or three thousand years.
This is by far the most abundant and extensive of the two. There is
nothing in Great Britain to afford comparison with it.
The light bush, on the other hand, is not dissimilar to a very wild
and luxuriant English wood, if one excepts the difference of the
vegetation. It fills up the gullies, and covers the hill-sides, where
Maori cultivation once occupied the ground. It is by no means so
extensive as the heavy bush, but may be said to fringe it here and
there, and to border once populous rivers. These copsewoods spring
up very rapidly. Light bush that is only forty years old will rival
English woods that have stood a century, in the relative size of the
trees. The jungle is so dense that it is often almost impervious to
passage altogether, until the axe has cleared a road. It has a rich
and fresh appearance when looked at as a whole, a verdancy and wealth
of varying tints, a general beauty that seems to make our name for it
appear an ill-chosen one; for we generally call the light bush "scrub."
The heavy bush, in these northern districts, is divisible into two
kinds. There is the kauri bush and the mixed bush. The first, as its
name implies, is forest where the kauri grows alone, or, at least,
preponderates. It has already been described. It is something solemn
and tremendous in the last degree, grand and gloomy, and even awful.
There are but few trees produced anywhere in the world that can
rival the mammoth kauri in bulk. When we consider the closeness with
which the trees stand, the uniform mightiness of their endless ranks,
stretching on over hill and dale for many a mile, it is not easy to say
where we may look to find anything to match or compare with kauri bush.
The mixed bush is very different. Here one is in an actual land of
enchantment. Uniformity is gone; unending variety is in place of it.
The eye is almost wearied with delight, wonder, and admiration at all
around, for there is ever something new, something to prevent the sense
of monotony growing up in the mind.
The trees are not of one size, any more than of one kind. Their
maximum girth and height fall considerably below that of the largest
kauri. Still, one may see kahikatea, kawaka, kotukutuku, matai, miro,
pukatea, puriri, rata, rimu, taraire, totara, and many another, whose
girth may be as much as thirty feet and more, perhaps; and that may
attain a hundred feet or more of height before "heading." Nor are these
trees but so many columns. There are trees that branch all round with
great domes of foliage. There are some that send several huge limbs
upshooting to the sky. There are crooked trees, gnarled trees, bare
trees and richly covered ones, leaning trees and fallen trees, a
confusion and profusion of arboreal forms.
There is exuberant vegetation above, around, below. Waist-deep in a
rich, rare fernery you stand, and, if you have an artistic soul, gaze
rapturously about you. From the heights you peer down into the gullies,
look abroad over distant sweeps of river, glance through vistas of
greenery, over panoramas of wild woodland beauty, carrying your sight
away to the far-off hills bathed in sunshine; and all is mantled with
the glorious woods.
The mighty trunks and monster limbs of the trees about you are
covered with huge masses of moss, shrouded in climbing ivy-ferns,
festooned with flowering creepers, and covered with natural hanging
gardens to their lofty summits. Around you are the varied forms and
colours of more than a hundred different shrubs and trees, evergreen,
and flower-bearing in their seasons. There is the cabbage-tree
palm, with bare shank and top-knot; the nikau palm, with weird and
wondrous frondage; the lancewood, upright and slender, with crest of
copper-tinted hair-like leaves; the fern-tree, a vast umbrella of
emerald green. There is the twisting squirming rata; the gaunt and
powerful kahikatea; the golden kowhai; the dark velvet-covered rimu;
the feathery red tawai; the perfumy mangiao; and more that it would
take days to particularize. Flowers of bright tint load the trees or
shrubs that bear them—scarlet, white, crimson, orange, yellow, blue;
and hanging creepers shower festooned cataracts of foliage and blossom
down from middle air. And everywhere are ferns, ferns, ferns! abundant,
luxuriant, and of endless variety.
You stroll in perfect safety through this gorgeous temple of nature.
There is nothing harmful, nothing to fear in all our paradisaic
wilderness. No snake, no scorpion, no panther; no danger from beast, or
bird, or reptile, or hostile man; nothing to cause the apprehension of
the timidest lady. Only a pig, maybe, rushing frantically off in terror
at your approach; only a mosquito, sometimes, to remind you you are
mortal.
Our Brighter Britain is the natural home of the poet and the artist.
Not the least doubt about that. We shall develop great ones some
day here. Even the Maori, originally a bloodthirsty and ferocious
savage, is deeply imbued with the poetry of the woods. His commonest
phraseology shows it. "The month when the pohutukawa flowers;" "the
season when the kowhai is in bloom;" so he punctuates time. And the
years that are gone he softly names "dead leaves!"
There are over a hundred distinct species of trees indigenous to this
country, and goodness knows how many shrubs and other plants. Sir
J. D. Hooker has classified our flora, though doubtless not without
omissions. We, the inhabitants of our shanty, are trying to study the
natural history of our adopted home. What we have learnt of it—not
much, perhaps, yet more than many settlers seem to care to know—we
place in our note-book, which I now set forth for all and sundry to
criticize.
The Kauri (_Dammara Australis_) is the king of the forest, and must
have foremost place. It has already been described fully, in the
chapter on our special products, in which I also spoke of kauri-gum,
the Kapia of the natives.
The Kahikatea, "white pine" (_Podocarpus dacrydioides_), comes next
in order. It attains a hundred and twenty feet or so of stick, and
may girth nearly forty feet. It has not much foliage, but rejoices in
great, gaunt limbs. Kahikatea bush often occupies marshy ground, and,
if unmixed, has a somewhat bare and spectral aspect. The timber is
good, but soft, and may be used for deals.
The Totara (_Podocarpus Totara_) attains as great a size. It yields
a timber highly prized where kauri cannot be got. The wood is
close-grained, and reckoned very valuable. Mottled totara is as much
esteemed for cabinet work as mottled kauri.
The Rimu (_Dacrydium cupressinum_) is a beautiful species of cypress;
"Black Pine," as bushmen call it. It yields a highly valued timber,
used for furniture and interior work. The tree is often as gigantic as
the kahikatea, but is stately and finely foliaged.
The Tawai (_Fagus Menziesii_), called "red birch" by settlers, is a
favourite for fencing when young. It attains a hundred feet; and yields
a good strong timber.
The Tawairaunui (_Fagus fusca_) is a species of the former, known as
"black birch." It is stronger and more durable, attains a greater size,
but is not so plentiful in the North. The juice is saccharine, like
that of the American maple.
The Puriri (_Vitex littoralis_) is sometimes called "teak," or
"ironwood." The tree is less than the last. The timber is hard, heavy,
very durable, very hard to work, and of a greenish colour. It is
commonly used for piles and posts, where the maximum of toughness and
durability is required.
The Kowhai (_Sophora tetraptera_) yields timber similar to that of the
puriri, but of somewhat inferior quality. It is a fine tree, branching
well, and bearing a gold-coloured blossom, whose honey attracts
multitudes of tui (parson-birds) in the season.
The Pohutukawa (_Metrosideros tomentosa_) is called "the Settlers'
Christmas Tree," as its scarlet flowers appear about that time. It does
not attain more than fifty or sixty feet of height, but is bulky, and
has a rich foliage. The wood is most important, being used for knees
and ribs in ship building. The bark is astringent, medicinal, and is
used in tanneries.
The Hinau (_Elaeocarpus dentatus_) produces a good bark for tanning and
dyeing. It is not among the largest trees. The Maori used its juice as
a dye, and in the process of moku.
The Tanekaha (_Phyllocladus trichomanoides_) is a larger tree again.
The timber is used for planks and spars. The bark gives a red-brown
dye, formerly used by the Maori, and is exceedingly rich in tannin.
The Kamahi (_Weinmannia racemosa_) is a small tree. It bears a pretty
flower, and is a great ornament. The bark is used in tanneries.
The Kohekohe (_Dysoxylum spectabile_) reaches sixty feet. It has
magnificent foliage, yields a good timber for fencing, makes first-rate
shingles, and contains a bitter principle of tonic quality, like
quassia.
The Kawa-kawa (_Piper excelsum_) is a large shrub of the pepper tribe,
allied to kava and cubebs. It is ornamental, and has an aromatic scent.
The Pukatea (_Atherosperma N.Z._) is a tree of the second largest
class. Its timber is soft but durable, and is much used for
boat-building. It is a remarkably handsome tree.
The Rata (_Metrosideros robusta_) is of the myrtle tribe. When young
it is a creeper and a parasite, called then Ratapiki. It gradually
strangles and absorbs the tree round which it climbs, becoming
eventually a forest giant, gnarled and twisted. In all its stages it
bears a gorgeous scarlet flower. The timber is used for rails, posts,
and shingles.
The Ti, or "cabbage-tree palm" (_Cordyline Australis_), grows as high
as fifty feet. It branches into various stems, each bearing a head of
leaves. The leaf yields a strong fibre. The plentiful seeds are full of
oil. The root is farinaceous, and was an item of Maori diet. It is very
abundant.
The Toi (_Cordyline indivisa_) is a more ornamental, rarer, and smaller
species of "cabbage-tree;" the leaf is larger, handsomer, and also
fibre-yielding. Its root is also esculent, like that of the Ti. The
name of Toi likewise belongs to a herb (_Barbarea vulgaris_), the
leaves of which are eaten like cabbage or spinach.
The Tingahere, or "lancewood" (_Cordyline stricta_), is another
species of the same family. It is of very singular appearance, its
head resembling a tuft of copper-coloured feathers or hair. There are
several more members of this tribe to be seen pretty frequently in the
mixed bush.
The Nikau (_Areca sapida_) attains forty or fifty feet. It is a
handsome palm, bearing enormous fronds, often fifteen feet or more
in length. They are used for thatching wharès in the forest. Within
the crown of the leaves is an edible pith, a stick of pinky-white
stuff, the size of a man's arm, eating like celery and cocoa-nut in
combination; it is refreshing and wholesome.
The Tawhera or Kie-kie (_Freycinetia Banksii_) appears to be sometimes
a parasite, sometimes a shrub, and sometimes a small tree. It is a
curious plant, with tufts of stringy leaves. It bears a fruit very much
esteemed by the Maori, which resembles a green pine-apple, small, and
eats like honey and cream.
The Koraka (_Corynocarpus levigata_) was brought to New Zealand by
the Maori. It is a small tree, with fine, dark, glossy foliage, which
cattle are very fond of. The fruit is edible; the kernel containing
"korakine," a narcotic poison. This property, however, appears to be
dissipated by heat, as I have known the kernels to be roasted, ground,
and made into coffee, without bad result.
The Maire (_Santalum Cunninghamii_) is not a large tree, but the wood
is extremely hard, heavy, and finely grained. It was used by the Maori
for war-clubs, and is now sawn and utilized for many purposes. Bushmen
call it "Black Maire," to distinguish it from the following:—
The Maire-tawhake (_Eugenia Maire_), or "White Maire."
The Maire-aunui (_Olea Cunninghamii_), which, together with the last,
is a much bigger tree than the maire, but does not yield such valuable
timber.
The Kotukutuku (_Fuchsia excorticata_) is akin to the fuchsia seen
in gardens at home. It is here a huge tree, standing eighty feet
in height, and with great girth. The flower is fine, and the fruit
agreeable eating.
The Kawaka (_Libocedrus Doniana_) is a grand tree of the largest class.
Its timber is dark and heavy, but is too brittle to work well. It
serves some purposes, however.
The Mangiao (_Tetranthera calicaris_) is a smaller tree, but one that
yields a timber exceptionally useful to carpenters and joiners. It
is also largely used in the ship-yards. The wood is fragrant with an
aromatic odour, as is also the leaf and blossom.
The Matai, or "Red Pine" (_Podocarpus spicata_), needs special mention.
Its wood is durable; soft when fresh, it has the property of hardening
with time.
The Miro, "Black Pine" (_Podocarpus ferruginea_), is, like the matai,
a large-sized tree. Its timber is close-grained and durable, but is
somewhat brittle.
The Ake-ake (_Dodonæa viscosa_) gives a handsome wood for cabinet work,
which is said to be imperishable.
The Horopito, or "Pepper-tree" (_Drimys axillaris_) yields also an
ornamental timber. Though the tree is of small size its wood is useful
for veneers. Its fruit, leaves, and bark contain medicinal properties.
The Ohoeka (_Panax crassifolium_) is a small shrub-like tree, whose
wood is noted for singular lightness, flexibility, and elasticity.
The Manuka or Manukau (_Leptospermum scoparium, et ericoides_), is the
"ti-tree" of settlers. In one condition it is low shrubbery, not unlike
heather, called then Rawiri by the Maori. "Second-growth ti-tree" is
like a plantation of cane, coming up very densely. This brushwood is
useful for small purposes about a house. It develops into wattles and
stakes after twenty years or so; these are of great value for fencing.
Finally, the plant becomes one of the largest forest-trees, yielding
a hard, close-grained timber. There are red and white varieties. The
Maori particularize it as Kahikatea, when in the tree condition. A
sort of manna, which exudes from the plant in all stages, is called by
them Piamanuka. Ti-tree springs upon any land that has been cleared
or burnt, and comes up densely and rapidly. It is the chief weed the
pioneer farmer has to contend with.
The Tawa (_Nesodaphne Tawa_) grows to nearly as great a size as the
kahikatea, though branching and spreading more. Its timber, however, is
soft and not of value.
The Taraire (_Nesodaphne Taraire_) is a huge and handsome tree of a
kindred species. Like the tawa, its wood is light and brittle. The
berries of both are eaten, usually after having been boiled.
The Whau (_Entelea arborescens_) is a small tree, noticeable for its
fine foliage. The wood is light, and the tree yields a fair substitute
for cork.
The Whau-whau-paku (_Panax arborea_) is similarly to be noticed for its
elegant glossy leaf.
The Patate (_Schefflera digitata_) is another small tree remarkable on
the same account.
The Piripiriwhata (_Carpodetus serratus_) grows to about thirty feet in
height. The timber is something like that of the ash, and is excellent
for axe-handles, cart-shafts, etc.
The Rama-rama (_Myrtus bullata_) has a good hard wood, but is small.
Its pink flower is a great ornament.
The Raukawa (_Panax Edgerleyi_) is a larger ornamental tree.
The Rewa-rewa (_Knightia excelsa_) approaches to the second class of
the great trees. It is often a hundred feet in height, but the trunk is
slender. Its wood has a splendidly showy grain for cabinet work.
The Tarata (_Pittosporum eugenioides_) is a small tree noted for its
purple blossom.
The Tawairauriki (_Fagus Solandri_) is the "White Birch" of settlers.
It reaches upwards of a hundred feet; but its timber is inferior and
less durable than that of either the red or black varieties.
The Titoki (_Alectryon excelsum_) is one of the larger trees. Its
timber is strong, tough, and durable. Its seed is full of a fine fixed
oil, which the Maori used to extract and employ as an unguent.
The Manawa, or "mangrove" (_Avicennia officinalis_), is very plentiful
in the north, along the shores of tidal waters. The wood is found
useful for some minor purposes, and might be used as a source of crude
soda, perhaps.
The Ngaio (_Myoporum laetum_) is a small bushy tree, capable of being
grown into hedges.
The Neinei (_Dracophyllum latifolium_) is but a small tree. The wood is
hard, and is valued for making mallets and the handles of implements.
The Mapau (_Myrsine Urvillei_) affords good material for fencing.
The Mapauriki (_Pittosporum tenuifolium_) has handsome foliage, and a
dark purple flower, and can be grown as a shelter tree.
The Kaiwhiria (_Hedycarya dentata_) is remarkable on the same account.
The Houhere (_Populnea Hoheria_) is a fine large tree of the linden
kind. Like that tree, its inner bark may be utilized for bass and
matting. The flower is snow-white, and very handsome.
The Kaikomako (_Pennantia corymbosa_) will be much cultivated as a
garden ornament. The flower is sweet-scented, and the fruit is edible.
This comprises the catalogue of native trees, so far as they are known
in our shanty; but, it is said that there are nearly as many more
varieties indigenous to the country, though considerably scarcer than
any of those mentioned.
There are some shrubs noticeable for one reason and another. We are in
the habit of collecting the seeds of such as have remarkably handsome
blooms or leafage, and sending them home for our friends to try and
raise in their conservatories. A few of our trees and shrubs will
bear the English climate, if properly attended to. I have seen fair
specimens in botanical gardens. Still, they will never attain their
full proportions there. Our favourite flowering or foliage shrubs are
these:—
The Akakura (_Metrosideros scandens_), a beautiful climber, which will
develop into a tree if allowed to grow. It bears flowers like tufts of
crimson silk.
The Akepiro (_Olearia furfuracea_), a shrub with velvety foliage.
The Angi-angi (_Geniostoma ligustrifolium_), a shrub with a white
flower.
The Kaikaiatua (_Rhabdothamnus Solandri_). The Maori evidently
appreciated some part of this plant, the name of it signifying "Food
of Gods," precisely the same title by which the old Greeks spoke of
certain dainty mushrooms. It has a fine orange and red-striped blossom.
The Kapuka (_Griselinia littoralis_), a small tree with a yellow-green
foliage.
The Karamu or Papaumu (_Coprosma_, _sp._), a family of pretty flowering
shrubs.
The Karetu (_Hierochloe redolens_), which is not a shrub exactly, but a
grass, renowned for its delicious scent.
The Kihi-kihi (_Pittosporum crassifolium_), a shrub with purple
flowers, akin to the mapauriki.
The Kohia (_Passiflora tetandra_), the seeds of which yield a bland
oil, that may probably be some day utilized.
The Korokio (_Corokia Buddleoides_), a fine erect tree, bearing a
conspicuous red berry.
The Koromiko (_Veronica_, _sp._), these pretty species are astringent,
and their shoots are a remedy for scouring in cattle.
The Kotukutuku (_Fuchsia excorticata_), when full-grown, it becomes one
of the largest trees.
The Kowhaingutukaka (_Clianthus puniceus_), bears especially fine red
and orange blossoms.
The Kumerahu (_Pomaderris elliptica_), is sweet-scented.
The Mairehau (_Phebalium nudum_), grows well.
The Oho (_Panax Lessonii_), is recommended, but we do not admire it.
The Pere (_Alseuosmia Banksii_), a straggling, spreading bush.
The Pikiarero (_Clematis indivisa_), is very plentiful in the forest.
It has fine white, sweet-scented flowers.
The Ratapiki (_Metrosideros Florida_), is a species much the same as
the akakura.
The Rohutu (_Myrtus pedunculata_), is pretty.
The Toro (_Persoonia Toro_), becomes a tree. It has rich foliage.
Besides these there are one or two climbers and shrubs that are
plentiful everywhere, and must be noticed for other peculiarities. They
are these:—
The Kareao (_Rhipogonum scandens_), well-known to settlers under the
detested name of "supple-jack." It grows in long, winding canes,
the thickness of one's finger, and so horny that they will turn an
axe-edge. It often binds acres of trees together in impenetrable
thickets, making the bushman's labour excessively difficult.
Walking-stick makers export selected canes, and they are split and used
as withes. The root is astringent, and is said to resemble sarsaparilla
in medicinal virtue.
The Tataramoa (_Rubus Australis_) is equally well-known under the
designation of "bush-lawyer." Its stems are flexile, and more like rope
than cane, but every part of the plant is fibrous and very strong. It
grows in much the same manner as supple-jack, but is luckily not quite
so plentiful. It rejoices in abundant foliage, and each leaf is armed
with hooked thorns, which lay hold of anything attempting to brush past
them. Hence the name; for it is needful to disengage each particular
thorn with care and circumspection. There is no pulling away from a
bush-lawyer, unless one is prepared to leave clothes and skin hanging
on the bush, so tenacious is its hold. The plant belongs to the bramble
tribe, and has a white flower and a red berry.
The Mounga-mounga (_Lygodium articulatum_) is the delight of persons
camping out. It has a stem like small twine, which depends from the
trees in immense bundles of spiral coils. Bunches of it make capital
bedding, being, in fact, a natural spring-mattress.
The Tupakihi (_Coriaria ruscifolia_) is a shrub growing chiefly on
poor open land. The whole plant is highly astringent, but is also said
to contain a narcotic principle. Cattle occasionally eat it, and get
poisoned. It bears bunches of juicy berries which are wholesome to
eat, but upon them is a seed that is dangerously full of the poisonous
principle. The beverage called tutu, which the old Maori esteemed, was
made from the berries of this plant. When it was boiled with a certain
seaweed (_Porphyra_) a nutritious jelly was formed. Tutu was probably
not universally known among the Maori, but only to certain tribes. It
appears to have been intoxicating, for warriors who required a "drop of
somethink short" were accustomed to imbibe it on the eve of battle.
New Zealand is well-known to be a great place for ferns. They exist in
incredible profusion everywhere. Botanists have enumerated a hundred
and thirty indigenous species, of which some forty are peculiar to the
country. We are always sending roots, seeds, and dried species home,
but I cannot attempt to catalogue them. Several kinds resembling that
beautifully delicate fern called the maidenhair are among our commonest
species. Their luxuriance is astonishing. They cover acres and acres of
ground in the bush, and come up to one's waist and armpits.
The Tuakura (_Dicksonia squarrosa_) and the Ponga (_Cyathea dealbata_)
are the two principal varieties of fern-tree. Groves of them,
overshadowing some lonely creek, at the bottom of a wild, wooded gully,
are indeed a sight to see. Growing to twenty, thirty, or forty feet in
height, the graceful drooping fronds that spread around a single tree
form a natural arbour, capable of sheltering a number of persons.
The Raurau (_Pteris aquilina_, _var. esculenta_) is a fern of the
nature of English bracken. It covers all the better-class open lands,
and occurs among the undergrowth of the bush. It sometimes grows very
large, the fronds overtopping one's head as one walks or rides through
it. The root is a Maori edible.
The ivy-ferns, climbing-ferns, or creeper-ferns (_Polypodia_, _sp._,
_Hymenophylla_, _sp._), are very beautiful. They are everywhere in the
bush, ascending to the tops of the tallest trees, twining on every
limb, and throwing out bunches of fronds to hide it. Some have broad,
glossy leaves as big as a table-top; others are digitate, pedatisect,
tripinnate, and all the rest of it, or assume strange new shapes, like
that of the kidney-fern (_Trichomanes reniforme_), for instance.
Like the ferns, the mosses of the country are legion in number, and
marvellously luxuriant in growth. They, too, are everywhere. Great
masses of moss form hanging-gardens on the trees; for, collecting a
quantity of detritus and moisture, a sort of soil is formed, in which
small ferns, tawhera, orchids, plants of various kinds, and fungi,
flourish. In and about these hanging-gardens, these ferneries high up
upon the great trees, are the homes and habitations of birds, rats,
bees, beetles, lizards, and butterflies.
The Harakeke or Korati (_Phormium tenax_) is the justly celebrated New
Zealand flax. It is plentiful everywhere, on bush-land and open-land,
rich soil and poor soil, hill and dale, from the Reinga to the Bluff.
Throughout the North you cannot go a hundred yards in any direction
without seeing a clump of it. In many districts of both islands it
covers hundreds of acres entirely.
Flax resembles the English flag, or iris, in appearance, but the
blades are thicker, heavier, and glossy. Usually, from four to six
feet long, in favourable situations they grow to ten or twelve feet.
The colour is a bright green, variegated in some of the species with
white, yellow, or red. The plant grows in dense clumps, or bushes, and
from the centre of each root rises a tall stem bearing flowers, white,
yellow, salmon, flesh-pink, red, in different varieties. The flowers
are peculiarly rich in honey; and Maori children are fond of sucking
them. The resulting seed is oily and resinous, the seed-stems being
commonly used for torches.
The leaves of the harakeke are composed of a strong fibre, which ranks
next to silk in degree of tenacity. The whole plant is impregnated with
gum, quantities of which are found about the base of the leaves. The
gum is astringent, and the root is rich in tannin. This fresh gum was
used by the Maori for every purpose of cement and glue. The root had
its place in their pharmacopeia.
From the earliest times that Europeans had any knowledge of New
Zealand, this flax-fibre has excited great attention. The quality of
the Maori manufactures from it was sufficient to arouse earnest inquiry
into the nature of the material. The robes and dresses they wove out of
phormium yarn were articles often of considerable beauty, finish, and
design. The kaitaka, for instance, made from a choice variety of flax,
has a gloss like silk or satin, and, though thick, is perfectly soft
and flexible. All these garments were so durable that they could be
handed down from generation to generation.
But the labour involved in making these articles was prodigious, and
would have rendered them above all price in a community where an
individual's time was commutable into cash. The fibre was separated by
hand, and freed from the all-permeating gum by toilsome manipulative
processes. This work of freeing the fibre from gum has always been the
great difficulty. Even yet success has not been wholly achieved. No
European machinery or process has yet been perfected that will turn out
an article like the Maori manufacture, and at a practicable cost. If it
could be done, the fabric would bring immense wealth to this country.
Very early in this century phormium fibre was brought to Sydney and to
England. The manufacture of cloth from it was essayed at Knaresborough,
in Yorkshire, but it was found that the fibre was destroyed by boiling
it with chemicals, which had been resorted to for removal of the gum.
However, it soon became known as of value for cordage, canvas, and
paper-making. Phormium rope, tested against the best Manilla rope, bulk
for bulk, has been over and over again proved the stronger and most
durable.
Many mills have been erected, and much capital sunk in the production
of the dressed fibre, and in experimenting to render it more workable
at commensurate cost. In the North less has been done in this way than
elsewhere. There are mills at Whangarei, at Aratapu, and at sundry
other places; but it is evident that further south must lie the chief
fields of flax industry. In Taranaki and in Westland, for example,
there are miles and miles of nothing but flax. The supply of leaf is
there simply inexhaustible.
In the commercial world New Zealand flax-fibre was highly esteemed at
one time, but has fallen out of favour. During 1873 the colony exported
dressed fibre to the value of £143,799, but in 1875 this export fell
to £11,742, and, though it has recovered slightly, it has not reached
the original standard. This has been owing to the action of English
rope-makers, who continue to prefer Manilla hemp, and to depreciate
the price of our product, in spite of its acknowledged superiority. A
short-sighted policy on their part, it promises to result well for the
colony. Unable to find a market for the raw material, New Zealanders
are beginning to manufacture rope, canvas, and paper themselves. There
is not a doubt that their products will take the foremost place, and
bring great wealth to the country.
Experimenting with flax has been a regular craze. Many a man has lost
all his capital in it. You have only to see what the Maori have done
with the fibre, and to recognize the enormous supply of the material,
to get bitten by this mania. It seems so manifestly certain that there
must be a way of working up the material by machinery at a reasonable
cost, and producing a fabric such as the Maori did, which could be sold
at a profit. Only find out the way to do it, and the fortunes that
could be made would be boundless in extent.
In the green state, the flax leaf is most useful to both settler and
Maori. Every purpose for which cordage of any kind is wanted, is easily
supplied by cutting some leaves from the nearest clump, splitting
and tying them together. They look unsightly, but they are just as
strong as need be. Whether it is a bridle, a halter, a boat-cable, or
a boot-lace that is required, green flax-leaf out of the nearest bush
supplies it. And the Maori plait kits and baskets for all purposes with
it.
Take it altogether, in the green state and in the manufactured
condition, in the present and prospectively, as what it has been and
what it will become, there is nothing in the country to equal the value
of the phormium. Few countries have a natural product so useful, and of
such vast importance to their future welfare.
The vegetable edibles of the bush have already been alluded to in the
description of Maori manners. There would be no need for any one to
starve, if he were lost in the forest for months, did he but know the
native esculents, even if he were unable to supplement them by catching
birds or fish. Almost every Maori—at any rate of the old school—is
a good practical botanist and naturalist. He knows the properties and
native name of every plant; and he knows the habits of each bird, or
fish, or insect, and how to catch it. When the Pakeha condescends to go
to the Maori for instruction in these particulars, he will be sure to
gain something by it.
The principal edible, because the most widespread, was the fern-root.
It was prepared in several ways. The most elaborate consisted in
macerating, steaming, and kneading the gummy fibrous stuff, and
keeping the resulting mess until a kind of fermentation began in it.
The readiest way was to simply roast the scraped root, then to beat
it into softness between two stones. When cold, this last became hard
like biscuit. It is tolerably nutritious, but not particularly nice,
according to Pakeha notions.
The root of the ti, and of the toi, too, I believe, is far better food,
but was neither so plentiful nor so easily grubbed up. Baked or boiled
it is not bad eating, being very farinaceous. The earliest missionary
settlers made beer from a wort of it. Whether this was known to the
Maori previous to the advent of the Pakeha, I have been unable to
discover.
The pith of the nikau is wholesome, nutritious, and palatable. The tree
is plentiful enough in the North. Unlike the root of the cabbage-tree
just mentioned, it is eaten raw. There is a bushy grass (_Gahnia_ and
_Cladium_), strong spiny stuff, in the forest, which also has an edible
pith.
The root of the raupo (_Typha angustifolia_), the swamp-grass of which
the Maori construct their wharè, is edible, similarly to that of the
cabbage-tree. Punga-punga, the pollen of the raupo, used to be made
into bread.
There are one or two other roots and piths also esculent, but neither
so good nor so plentiful as those just recorded. There are the fruits
of the hinau, rimu, matai, miro, kahikatea, koraka, tawa, kohekohe,
taraire, tawhera, and other trees and shrubs. And there is the interior
of the stem of one of the fern trees.
There are the native spinach or Renga-renga (_Tetragonia expansa_), the
Pana-pana, or cress (_Cardamine hirsuta_), and the Reti-reti, or sorrel
(_Oxalis magellanica_), which do for salad and green vegetables. As
they are plentiful, they might be more freely used by settlers and
bushmen than they are.
To them may be added the Toi (_Barbarea vulgaris_), a herb which served
the ancient Maori as cabbage. Then there is a native celery (_Apium
australe_), a nettle (_Urtica incisa_), and a dandelion (_Taraxacum
dens-leonis_), all of which might be eaten. The Maori also made use of
the root of an orchid (_Gastrodia Cunninghamii_), and the root of a
bindweed (_Convolvulus sepium_). They called the first Hirituriti, and
the latter Panake. These roots are farinaceous and nourishing, and were
baked and consumed in large quantities.
The three plants cultivated by the Maori—Kumera (_Ipomœa Batatas_),
Hue (_Cucurbita_, _sp._), and Taro (_Caladium esculentum_), are all to
be found growing wild. There are also now to be found wild many of our
garden vegetables, including the potato, tomato, capsicum, tobacco,
cabbage, cape gooseberry (_Physalis Peruviana_), watercress—called
Kowhiti by the natives—and many more.
Lastly, the Maori made use of several seaweeds and a number of fungi.
But, as Britons at home persist in despising all other fungi but the
field mushroom and the truffle, I suppose they will hardly take to
such food here, dainty though it is. One fungus (_Hirneola_, _sp._)
is gathered here to a small extent for export to China. It fetches
about 15_s._ to £1 per cwt., and about £1000 worth are annually
exported. It grows plentifully on certain trees. The field mushroom
(_Agaricus campestris_), well known in England, has appeared on our
paddocks, sometimes in enormous quantities. Together with its congener
the horse-mushroom (_A. arvensis_), this fungus is not indigenous,
according to Maori information on the subject. I have heard the species
called "Harori-kai-pakeha," which conveys the idea that the field
mushroom is an introduced species. But the Maori applied the name
of Harori to several species belonging to the families _Agaricus_,
_Amanita_, _Lepiota_, etc., which we call "toadstools." They were
accustomed to eat certain of these, and do so still, if they happen to
find them in the bush. All fungi growing on trees they call Hakeke, or
Popoiahakeke. Of these, they were accustomed to eat the three or four
species of _Hirneola_, which are indigenous, and one or two _Polypori_
besides. One of the latter tribe yielded them a surgical appliance.
A mushroom they name Putawa, is a _Boletus_. Probably more than one
species of this family was customarily eaten. The Maori also ate the
Pukurau (_Lycoperdon Fontainesii_), and possibly other species of
puff-balls besides. They knew the esculent value of the Pekepekekiore
(_Hydnum Clathroides_), but their chiefest dainty and most esteemed
treasure among fungi, is the Paruwhatitiri, or "thunder-dirt"
(_Ileodictyon cibarium_). The volva of this extraordinary fungus is
eaten, and is regarded as a great dainty. There are many species of
fleshy fungi in the bush, but little is known of them, either by Maori,
settlers, or scientists.
New Zealand did without quadrupeds in the old times, save and except
the kiore, or rat. This was a delicacy much esteemed by Maori
bon-vivants, and was regularly hunted by them with great ceremonial.
It is rapidly becoming extinct, only being found now in the remote
recesses of the forest. The Norwegian rat, which centuries ago
exterminated the aboriginal British rat, has somehow come over here
with the Pakeha, and is rapidly rendering the kiore a thing of the
past, while spreading through the land in its place.
There was some talk of the discovery of a kind of otter, but, I
believe, that has been proved a myth altogether. There were some bats,
and there was the dog, kararehe or peropero. The kararehe, however, was
never wild to any extent. It had been brought here by the Maori, and
was kept domesticated by them. They prized its flesh for food, and its
skin for robes.
Captain Cook's pigs are now numerous everywhere, as has been described
in another chapter. Besides them, cattle, goats, sheep, and cats are
now found wild in certain localities, and in considerable number.
We have, luckily, no snakes, and the only reptiles are pretty little
ngarara, or lizards (_Mocoa zelandica_, and _M. ornata_), together
with a few frogs in some districts. The Maori have legends respecting
enormous ngarara that they say once existed here. They have a tale of
these taniwha which is somewhat parallel to our nursery stories of
dragons.
Instead of animals New Zealand possessed an extraordinary class of
gigantic birds, the famous moa, in fact. The kiwi (_Apteryx_) remains
as an example of this family. The kiwi, of which there are four known
species, varies from the size of a common hen to that of a goose. It
has neither wings nor tail; and its dull brown feathers resemble coarse
hair. It has a long flexible bill, and thick powerful legs, which
divide into four strong claws.
The kiwi is a night-bird, lying hid by day. It is very shy,
disappearing from the neighbourhood of settlements and haunting
the recesses of the forest, where I have found it to be still very
plentiful. The kiwi lays a very large egg in proportion to its size.
A bird of four and a half pounds will lay an egg of fourteen ounces
weight. The Maori used to catch considerable numbers of them, and
do still in some parts, using their flesh for food, their skins for
leather, and their feathers for weaving into chiefs' robes. Having
eaten kiwi old and young, baked and boiled, roast and fried, I am able
to state that its meat is tougher and more tasteless than barbecued
boot-soles.
The Maori have two ways of catching kiwi. They hunt them with dogs
trained to the work; that is one method. The dog flushes the kiwi,
which runs swiftly and silently off among the undergrowth. The dog
follows by scent. At last the kiwi is driven into some swamp, where it
half buries itself in the mud, and stupidly stands till it is caught.
Another plan is to light a fire by night in some secluded and likely
thicket, the hunter lying concealed near. He imitates the cry of
the kiwi, and so lures it to the fire, where it stands dazzled and
stupefied till he seizes it. A party I was out with once caught a dozen
birds so one night.
The now extinct moa appear to have been very similar to kiwi, only
of gigantic size. Plenty of their skeletons are found, enabling
naturalists to tell us all about them, corroborated by the tradition of
the Maori. They seem to have been in existence up to the end of last
century, and, till lately, it was thought that individual specimens
might even yet be found in unexplored localities. This hope no longer
remains.
There were three families of moa (_Dinornis_, _Aptornis_,
_Palapteryx_), subdivided into several species. The smallest was five
feet, and the largest sixteen feet in height. They were of enormous
bulk, too; one species had legs thicker than a man's thigh. But huge as
they were, they were shy and stupid, and not formidable, so that the
Maori were able to run them down and club them to death.
If the moa's egg was as large in proportion to the bird as the kiwi's
is to it, it must have been a monster. And if, as naturalists lead us
to infer, the moa was but a magnified kiwi in all respects, it is to be
supposed that its flesh would be correspondingly tougher and coarser.
In that case, I do not see why the Maori should be blamed for turning
cannibal in preference to eating it.
The first voyagers to New Zealand speak with special unction of the
multitudes of birds, and especially of singing birds. They could
scarcely do so now. The native birds have noticeably diminished in
number, though they are yet to be found plentifully enough in the
remote bush. The Maori say in their picturesque manner—
"When the big Pakeha bird (ship) swam upon the sea to Ahinamaui, the
little Maori birds flew away."
Some have thought that the introduction of honey-bees has caused the
disappearance of honey-sucking birds. A more probable reason is that
advanced by Dr. Buller, namely, that the Norwegian rat is the real
cause. This little beast swarms throughout the forest country, and robs
nests of eggs and young.
But the Maori birds are by no means so few in number as some writers
would have us believe; and they are being rapidly augmented by numerous
species from other countries, imported and acclimatized, which are
thriving apace and multiplying prodigiously. I shall only have room to
mention a few of our native species, such as are peculiarly noticeable
or comparatively common.
The Tui (_Prosthemadera N.Z._) is commonly known as "parson-bird,"
from two white projecting feathers on the neck, which exactly parody
a clergyman's falling bands. It is somewhat larger than the English
starling, with plumage resembling it, but more metallic in colour and
glossier. It sucks honey from flowers, and eats berries. It has a
cheerful song, and can imitate like a mocking-bird. I have often seen
scores of tui at a time on blossoming kowhai trees. Tui give regular
concerts in the early morning, and the motions of the bird when singing
resemble those of a preacher, a curious addition to the likeness
conveyed by its "bands." Tui fatten so excessively on phormium seeds,
that the Maori have a fable that they peck a hole in their breasts,
to let the superfluous oil out. The bird is a favourite for caging,
both with Maori and settlers. It can be taught to whistle tunes and
articulate words. It is good eating.
The Kuku (_Carpophaga N.Z._) is a wood-pigeon, a good deal larger than
the English species. It has splendid plumage, of a dark, flashing,
metallic green, with touches of red, and a white breast. It appears to
be migratory, coming down in flocks every now and then, especially when
the cabbage trees are in seed. On these oily beans it gets absurdly
fat, like the tui, so much so, that when you shoot a bird and it falls
to the ground, you find the skin split, and the fat oozing forth.
The kuku appear in hundreds and thousands sometimes, and numbers may
easily be shot. The Maori snare them and spear them by scores. They are
capital eating.
The Weka (_Ocydromus Earli_) is found plentifully in the woods.
Settlers call it the "bush-hen." It has a pretty mottled plumage of
partridge tints, and its flesh eats like grouse. The weka is somewhat
larger than the English water-hen. It is getting less abundant every
year. There is a larger bird in the bush of kindred species, rarer, and
distinguished by more showy colours, which I have seen once or twice,
but could not identify. Probably it may have been a cross between the
weka and the common domestic fowl.
The Pukeko (_Porphyrio melanotus_) is a splendid water-bird, larger
than the biggest duck. It is known as the "swamp-hen." Its purple
colouring and crimson beak give it quite a royal and magnificent
appearance. This bird is getting rapidly more numerous instead of the
contrary. It has quite taken to Pakeha domination, apparently, and
could probably be domesticated. The pukeko was brought here by the
Maori. It is fine eating.
The Kaka (_Nestor meridionalis_) is a large bird of the parrot kind.
Its plumage is of a greenish brown, with scarlet under the wings.
It is common and good eating. There are several varieties of kaka,
some in which the colouring is dull, and others in which it is richly
variegated. It eats insects and berries, and sucks the honey from
flowers. Its note is harsh and clamorous.
The Kakariki (_Platycercus N.Z._) comprehend several species of small
parrot or parrakeet. They are distinguished by brilliant emerald-green
and scarlet feathers. Occasionally a good many may be seen. They are
noisy fellows—like all parrots.
The Kuimako or Kohorimako (_Anthornis melanura_) is a bird about the
size of a thrush. Its plumage is olive-green, with purple about the
head. It has a sweet note, that has been compared to the tinkling and
chiming of silver bells; hence its common name, "the bell-bird." It is
our nightingale. Once chorusing in flocks, singing at daybreak, it may
still be often heard, but, sad to say, is getting scarcer.
The Kahu (_Circus Gouldi_) is chief among several of the hawk tribe. It
looks almost eagle-like, as its broad wings skim across the sky. It is
a sad marauder among the settler's poultry. Sometimes two or three of
them will combine and attack a turkey or lamb. They do good by keeping
down rats on open ground.
The Ruru (_Spiloglaux N.Z._) is a small brown owl, heard everywhere
at night. It is called the "morepork," from its doleful iteration of
apparently that word. There is also a singular green owl-parrot, the
kakapo (_Strigops habroptilus_), which lives in holes in the ground.
It attacks sheep and tears their backs. It does not belong to our
catalogue, as it is not found in the Land of the Kauri, principally
inhabiting Canterbury and Otago. I believe there are one or two other
species of owls besides them.
The Kaiaia (_Hieracidea Brunnea_) is a sparrow-hawk, smaller than
the kahu. It will probably have its work cut out in keeping down the
English sparrows that have been introduced, and are likely to get too
numerous. By the same native name the "quail-hawk" (_Hieracidea N.Z._)
is also known. Both of these hawks are so exceedingly fierce that they
will attack anything, either singly or in concert. They have even been
known to fly at men, and to pounce at game in their hands.
The Patatai (_Rallus Philippensis_) is a small land-rail, plumaged much
like a partridge. It may not infrequently be seen; and makes a dainty
dish.
The Matuku (_Botaurus pœciloptilus_) is a bittern, long-legged and
billed. It is of dull hues, and its monotonous boom may be heard from
the swamps. The Maori are expert at catching them; but I cannot say
that bittern-meat is good. There is a smaller species of bittern, a
blue heron, and possibly others of the family, all known under the
common name of matuku.
The Kotare (_Halcyon vagans_) is a kingfisher, whose bright plumage
flits continually through the mangroves, where it principally makes
its home. It is larger than our English species, and of much the same
hues, sea-green and ultramarine, with orange-tawny under the wings.
The Kawau (_Phalacrocorax_, _sp._) is one of the commonest birds. There
are half a dozen distinct species, known to us by the general name of
shag or cormorant. They have a black back and a white breast. Some have
blue, green, and other tints of colouring. They build in trees, in
large "shaggeries," and haunt the seashore and the banks of the rivers.
The Kuaka (_Limosa Baueri_) is the bird spoken of as "curlew" and "grey
snipe" by colonists. Large flocks are to be seen on our rivers, feeding
on the mud-banks. When they are assembled in numbers, it is often
possible to creep cautiously within range, and take a pot-shot at the
crowd as it rises. A number may thus be bagged. The Maori used to net
them by night. They are fairly good eating.
The Titi or "mutton-bird" (_Puffinus brevicaudus_) is a species of
petrel common throughout the South Sea. They breed in burrows far
inland, consorting in immense flocks. An island in Bass' Straits is
resorted to by them annually, in such incredible numbers, that one
estimate, arrived at by calculating the cubic space they occupied,
gave a hundred and fifty millions as their probable numbers. On our
coasts they often come in legions. The Maori catch them by stretching
nets along the seashore at night. The birds, flying low, and returning
after dark to their inland roosting-places, are thus trapped in great
quantities. The Maori used to preserve them in calabashes, partly
cooked, and potted in the oily fat that had exuded from them. They were
thus made into a sort of "canned provisions," which might be stored up
against times of dearth, or made an article of trade with inland tribes.
The Koreke (_Coturnix N.Z._), the native quail, was once very
plentiful, though more so on the grassy downs of the south than here.
The natives used to net koreke in great quantities, much as they did
the titi and kuaka. Now, the bird is scarce in our part of the country.
Only rarely do we see a flock of half a dozen or so. But their place
is amply filled by various imported species of game-birds, now getting
very plentiful.
The Huia (_Heteralocha Gouldi_) must just be mentioned, as it is one
of the most striking of New Zealand species. It is only found in the
mountains of Wellington and Nelson provinces, consequently not in our
districts. The huia is a large bird, of a uniform glossy black colour,
shot with green. It has a long bent bill, and brilliant orange wattles.
The Koheperoa (_Eudynamis Taitensis_) is a long-tailed, brown-plumaged
cuckoo, which comes here from the South Sea Islands in the month of
October—our May. Its habits appear to be much the same as those of
the English cuckoo. I only once saw one closely, but have heard them
oftener.
The Popo or Popotea (_Orthonyx albicilla_) is a little brown bird with
a white head, which sings like a chaffinch, and principally lives about
rata trees. We see them not infrequently.
The Riroriro (_Gerygone flaviventris_) is a little warbler seen about
in company with the tauhau.
The Toutou (_Miro longipes_) is a small grey and white bird, which some
people have said is called the New Zealand robin. It is to be seen in
the bush now and then, and seems tame, but _we_ prefer to call another
species _our_ robin.
The Pihoi (_Anthus N.Z._) is the so-called native "lark." It is a
ground pipit, and may often be seen fluttering and chirping about a
bush road.
The Korohea (_Turnagra Hectori_) is the native thrush, and a poor
imitation it is of the English throstle. It is scarce. Sometimes its
song may be listened to with pleasure.
The Kokako (_Glaucopis Wilsoni_) is a crow, and is not uncommon in the
Kaipara. It has blue wattles on the beak. Its note is peculiar, being
sometimes a low, hollow boom, and at others a shrill and somewhat
bell-like tone.
The Putoto (_Ortygometra Tabuensis_) is a crake, often confounded by
settlers with the patatai. It is a smaller bird altogether, having
partridge tints on the back, and a grey breast. It chiefly inhabits
raupo swamps.
The Torea, or oyster-catcher (_Haematopus longirostris_) is one of the
sea-coast birds, and is often to be seen about our tidal rivers. It is
a black bird.
The Kotuku, or crane (_Ardea syrmatophora_), must just be mentioned,
though none of us ever saw one. But the Maori have a proverb—"as rare
as the kotuku."
There are various species of duck indigenous to the country, and
seen in great flocks on the rivers. Some of them have really fine
plumage, and others are dull in colour. We shoot and eat them all
indiscriminately, and consider them very good. The species we
have identified in the Kaipara and Hokianga are—the Putangi, or
"paradise-duck" (_Casarca variegata_); the grey duck, or Parera (_Anas
superciliosa_); the brown duck, an allied species or variety of the
last; the Papanga, or "teal," or "widgeon" (_Fuligula N.Z._), and
some other varieties that may be imported birds, or crosses, or other
native species. Besides these are numerous species of seabirds: gulls,
albatross, tern, skua, penguin, etc. We never eat them, of course,
though the Maori do, as they occasionally shoot some for the sake of
their feathers.
The Tauhau (_Zosterops lateralis_) is a beautiful little green bird,
much like a wren. It has a gold or silvery ring round the eye. It is
much seen about gardens and clearings, and settlers know it as the
"blight-bird." It frequents second-growth ti-tree, where its little
mossy nest and four or five pale blue eggs may often be found. This
bird is said to have only recently come to the country, from no one
knows where. It is quite at home now, and we see its nest oftener than
that of any other species.
The Waka-waka (_Rhipidura flabellifera_) is _the_ robin of our Brighter
Britain. It is a fantail, or flycatcher. It has dark brown tints pied
with white and black. When one is working or travelling in the bush, a
pair of these dear little birds will stay with one all day. They appear
beside you in the morning, and remain with you till night. They flutter
and flirt about you, sitting on twigs and regarding you with a bright
beady eye, whilst chirruping in a soft, unobtrusive undertone. We find
their nests sometimes, in bush-lawyer or supple-jack clumps, or in
birch-trees, They are curiously built with spiders' webs.
Many a rough, rude bushman has grown quite sentimental regarding these
little companions of man, and would visit with dire vengeance any
attempt to harm them. The Maori, as usual, have quaint superstitious
fancies about them. An old fellow, who in youth had been "out" with
Hone Heke, was once my companion on a journey through the forest. He
alluded feelingly to the waka-waka that, as usual, were fluttering
about us.
"Ah!" he said, "they are little spirits" (atua nuke-nuke). "They come
to see what men are doing in the bush by day, and go back to tell God
at night. To-night they will say, 'we saw the Maori and the Pakeha
together in the forest. They ate of the same, and drank of the same,
and slept together in one blanket, and were brothers.' And God will
say, 'It is good!'"
These are the birds known to the naturalists of our shanty, but
there are plenty more species, rarer, or whose habitat is limited to
districts south of this. And now, too, any ornithological catalogue of
the country must contain the names of numerous acclimatised species,
many of which are getting almost too abundant. We have many English
song-birds and insect-eaters; larks and linnets and thrushes, etc. And
we have game in any quantity in some districts, rapidly extending all
over the islands, of the following descriptions: The English pheasant
(_Phasianus colchicus_), the Chinese pheasant (_Phasianus torquatus_),
the partridge (_Perdix cinerea_), the Californian quail (_Ortyx
Californicus_), the Australian quail (_Coturnix pectoralis_), and some
others.
I have already said something about insects, when describing our home
life. I spoke of the mosquito (_Culex_), of the sandfly (_Simulium_),
and of the kauri-bug (_Polyzosteria N.Z._). I think I also mentioned a
certain not wholly unknown and _nimble_ creature, which the Maori are
accustomed to term Pakeha-nuke-nuke, or "little stranger."
Then there is the Cricket (_Cicada_), which swarms on the clearings,
eating down the grass, and doing damage in the gardens and fields. It
is the chief enemy of farmers. We have to keep large flocks of turkeys
on the clearings to keep down the crickets. They devour the insect
greedily, getting to a marvellous size on the food, and acquiring a
delicacy and flavour far beyond that of stubble-fed birds. A plague of
caterpillars also appears sometimes, which must be combated by similar
means.
We have flies in hosts, innumerable spiders, some of them as big
as walnuts, with hairy legs like a crab's claws, huge flying
locust-grasshoppers, goat-chafers, cock-chafers, dragon-flies, beetles,
and butterflies, the last not often remarkable for size or brilliance.
There are two unique creatures that must have special reference made to
them.
The Hotete is the so-called "vegetating caterpillar." It is a grub
two or three inches long, and out of its head there grows a parasitic
fungus (_Sphaeria Robertsii_), in the form of a long spire or blade,
six or seven inches in length, with a seed-spur on the top. The natives
eat the hotete. It is the larva of _Hepialus virescens_, a kind of
locust.
The Weta (_Deinacrida heteracantha_) is a creature of the locust form
living in dead-wood. Its body may reach to three inches in length,
and be about the thickness of one's thumb. It is covered with horny
scales, resembling those of a shrimp, but of a darker brown colour.
The head is perfectly black, and resembles a small lobster, with the
claws and mandibles projecting downwards. There are two large staring
eyes, and two immense antennæ. It has six legs, the latter pair being
very strong and large, while all are armed with serrated edges or
files, and with hooked claws. Behind, there is a horny, wedge-like
spine. From the hinder claws to the tip of the antennæ the weta may
measure sixteen inches, if a full-grown specimen. It bores its way
through dead-wood, in which it lives. Sometimes you get a weta on your
clothes, and feel horrified; but it is perfectly harmless, though you
will have to take it in pieces to get it off you. The larva of this
reptile, a huge sickly-white maggot, is a great prize to a Maori. He
fixes it on a stick, toasts it at the fire, and eats it with every sign
and expression of extravagant delight. I must say that the odour of the
toasted grub is very appetizing, still, I never could bring myself to
try one.
The poisonous spider of Taranaki—if, indeed, it really exists—is
unknown in our part of the country. We have numbers of bees. Nearly
every hollow tree contains comb. The shanty is seldom without a
bucketful of honey, for the consumption of those who like it. These
bees are a naturalized importation though; there were none indigenous,
I understand.
When touching on the Maori commissariat I alluded to our fish. We have,
indeed, a wealth of fish in all the tidal waters. Sharks, schnapper,
rock-cod, mackerel, mullet, herring, sole, halibut, albacore,
barracouta, king-fish, and others. All sorts of ways of fishing may be
practised successfully. One can always get fresh fish for supper, for
half an hour's trouble; and a day or night's netting or spearing will
provide ample store for smoking, drying, or salting. There are eight
kinds of whales, so bay-whaling is carried on round the coast. There
are also seals and dolphins.
The Maori think most of shark-meat, which they cure largely. It is
stinking stuff. We are always ready to lend a hand at a shark-hunt,
which is good sport, but we decline our share of the plunder. We prefer
the substantial schnapper, the goodly whapuka or kanae, or the luscious
porahi.
Cockles, mussels, clams, mutton-fish, oysters, and other molluscs
abound in the mud and on the rocks. In the freshwater streams are eels,
lampreys, and whitebait; and now salmon and trout have been introduced
into many of them, and are doing well. People who admire a fish diet
should come here. They could revel in profusion of it, as the Maori did
and do.
When the naturalist's note-book of our shanty shall have become
enlarged and more copious, I may possibly be able to add to this slight
sketch of the natural history of Northern New Zealand. But perhaps I
have already said more than enough to weary the hapless reader.