Part 5

The fungus spreads through the substance of the caterpillar, upon which it lives; it then sends up a stem from the neck of its victim, and this stem appears above ground, growing to the length of some eight or ten inches. From its slightly thickened end, spores are shed.

The caterpillar becomes hard and dry, and its skin being filled with the wood-like substance of the fungus, its natural shape is preserved.—A. P. W. T.

[10] Grey Robin. Toutouwai. (_Petrœca longipes._)—A bird very much like the Robin Red-breast. The plumage is grey, with a yellowish-white breast. Robins are very tame birds, and can easily be made pets; they will often come into a tent. When I was camping in the forest, a pair came into my hut, ate off my plate, drank and bathed in my tin mug, sat on my dog’s back, and, when I did not get up by daybreak, actually pulled my beard and sat on my blanket. They often followed me on my expeditions for miles, and were so jealous that they would not let any other robins come near my camp.—A. R.

Tomtit, or Black Robin. (_Petrœca macrocephala._)—A bird of the size of a titmouse; plumage black, with yellow and white on the breast. On the Little Barrier Island, off the coast of the Auckland province, a pair came to my camp every morning to get a little porridge or a few crumbs. If I did not feed them at once they would come to the entrance of my tent, and whistling, ask for food. One morning, to my delight, they brought a family of three pretty little birds covered with yellow speckles. As soon as I gave them oatmeal they fed their young with it. They stayed with me till I broke up my camp.—A. R.

[11] Parrakeet. Kakariki. (_Platycercus novæ Zealandiæ._)—A small green parrot, red on the top of the head. The parakeets climb about in large flocks on the tops of the trees, feeding on seeds and berries. They are most amiable towards each other, chattering the whole day, feeding and kissing.—A. R.

[12] Maori Hen. Weka. (_Ocydromus earli._)—A bird rather smaller than a common hen; plumage brown. It is the most inquisitive, cunning, and mischievous of all the New Zealand birds. During the day it hides in burrows or in thick scrub, from which, however, it emerges as soon as it hears any unusual noise; it then hides behind a log, stone, or tree-root, whence it watches all proceedings, calling to its mate with a booming noise. Any small, bright article, such as a knife, watch, or bunch of keys laid aside, the Maori hen will at once pick up and carry off with delight to its hiding place. When near a farm-house, this bird, as soon as it hears a domestic hen cackle, will watch its opportunity to run to the place and carry off the egg she has laid, to eat it at leisure. In the forest the Maori hens watch the birds building their nests in order to steal their eggs. If a young bird or a rat is not sufficiently on the alert, it will be seized at once and devoured, or should a lizard or a grub cross their path, or a fish come too near the shore, they seldom escape the eye of these vigilant birds. When chased by a dog the Maori hen will run into its hole and slip out by another opening, and, screened perhaps by a bush or fern, will watch the dog digging for it.—A. R.

[13] White Heron. Kotuku. (_Ardea alba._)—There is a Maori saying, that the Kotuku, or White Heron, is like a great chief, seen only once in a lifetime. These birds inhabit the rivers on the west coast of the South Island, proudly stepping up and down the shore, or standing knee deep in the water, with neck drawn in and head bent downwards to be ready to make a dart should any fish venture too near. In November the White Herons leave the rivers and congregate at one of the old breeding-places on the shores of secluded inland lakes, where they sit about on the crowns of tree-ferns or branches of trees near their nests; if any enemy approaches, the birds begin in chorus a strange croaking noise. It is a beautiful sight to see the long-legged, snow-white creatures sitting amongst the green foliage, the whole picture clearly reflected in the dark still water.—A. R.

[14] Wairakei Valley.—K. C.

[15] The Eagle’s Nest Geyser.—K. C.

[16] The hot-springs and geysers of New Zealand are chiefly found over a broad belt of country stretching from the great volcanic mountains near the centre of the North Island, in a north-easterly direction to the Bay of Plenty. Hot-springs occur in tens of thousands over this area, showing every variety; the water of some is only pleasantly warm, so that they serve as natural baths, others are at a boiling temperature; the geysers are boiling springs which act intermittently, now throwing up a column of water fountain-like into the air, now sinking to rest for a longer or shorter time.—A. P. W. T.

[17] Swamp Hen. Pukeko. (_Porphyrio melanotus._)—About the size of a fowl: plumage of a black and blue colour, with a red bill and long red legs. These birds inhabit swamps, or the shallow shores of lakes, where they stalk about with tails erect, their white undercoverts showing out conspicuously from the dark plumage. Where they are often disturbed, a few are always on the watch, whilst others feed, and on the approach of danger the watchers give a note of alarm and all disappear in the swamp. When plentiful near a cultivation they are destructive to crops of grain, as they eat the young shoots.—A. R.

[18] THE TERRACES.

The White and Pink Terraces were situated on the shores of Lake Rotomahana, a warm lake, as its name indicates (from Roto, lake, and mahana, warm). The lake was surrounded by hills, and it was on the sides of these hills, sloping down to the lake, that the Terraces had been formed. At the top of the White Terrace was a hollow in the hill-side, and in the centre of this was a great geyser. The water rising in the geyser overflowed its basin, and streaming down the sloping ground into the lake, cooled, and deposited a white incrustation of silica. On the opposite side of the lake was a similar terrace, known as the Pink Terrace, which, owing to the presence of a little iron oxide, was of a delicate shade of pink. Thus, in the course of unknown ages had been built up the wonderful Terraces of Rotomahana, structures which for purity of colour and beauty of sculpturing were unrivalled in the world. The White Terrace covered an area of about four acres, the Pink Terrace was a little smaller.

[19] The heat of the geysers and hot-springs around Rotomahana was doubtless derived from the volcanic fires which slumbered beneath the Tarawera Mountain, standing at a distance of some miles. This mountain was an old volcano, but its true nature was hardly recognized. On June 10th, 1886, the old volcano awoke to new life, and a violent paroxysmal eruption rent the mountain asunder, the chasm extending beyond its foot and through Rotomahana. The ground around the lake and beneath its waters to the depth of 500 feet was blown into the air, and the beauty of the terraces was lost to the world for ever.—A. P. W. T.

[20] Lennox Falls. Mt. Earnslaw.—K. C.

[21] The Mountain Lily (_Ranunculus Lyallii_) of the South Island is a large and handsome buttercup, perhaps the most beautiful of its kind. Its numerous flowers are four inches across, the petals being of a pure waxy-white; the leaves are very large, round, and somewhat cup-shaped. Its favourite spot is by the side of some mountain stream.—A. P. W. T.

[22] The Mountain-parrot. Kea. (_Nestor notabilis_)—A dull green parrot which inhabits the alpine mountains of New Zealand. It is found sitting about the rocks and snow-grass, or seen circling high in the air, where one can hear its call, which is like that of the European Stone Eagle. When the sheep died upon the hills or vast runs, the blowflies would deposit their larvæ in the bodies. After a while the Keas hovering over would see the maggots moving, alight on the sheep, and feed upon the insects, getting pieces of fat and meat with them. In this manner the birds found it was an easier way of procuring food than by seeking berries and seeds, or searching for grubs, and so it became a habit for them to attack even living sheep.—A. R.

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