Report on Pelorus Sound natural history




121

Owls.
Kingfishers.
Tui, or Parson Bird.
New Zealand Crow—Kokaka of the natives.
Parrot—large brown kind—or Kaka of the
Paroquets—two kinds, one considerably smaller
than the other, but of similar plumage—called
Kakariki of the natives.
A small kind of Cuckoo, not larger than a spar-
row—called Pipiwawaron by the natives—a migra-
tory bird.
Pigeon—called Kukupa by natives.
A large white Heron—only seen twice, but are
said to be common near Nelson.
Woodhen—Weka of the natives (Ocydromus
Australis)—a kind of rail as large as the common
fowl.
Paradise Ducks—Putangi-tangi of the natives—a
small kind of wild goose, with beautiful plumage.
Ducks of several kinds—Parera of the natives.
Teal.
Cormorants—several kinds of. They live in
common, and build their nests in trees over-
hanging the water. The Phalacrocorax Punctatus,
or Cristatus (spotted shag), is said to be common
in Pelorus, but we did not meet with any; all
kinds are called Kauwau by the natives.
Quail—formerly abundant, now becoming
scarce.
Oysterpickers—two kinds—called Toria by na-
tives.
Pukeko—numerous in swampy places.
New Zealand Robin—common in the bush, and
remarkable for its tameness.
The Kiwi-Kiwi and Kakapo—formerly com-
mon, but now not to be found in the neighbour-
hood of Pelorus.
A small bird, with yellow head and neck, size
of the Canary, and in flocks of a dozen.
Stilts—two kinds—called Toria by natives.
Flycatchers and Fantails.
Gulls, Petrels, and other sea fowls, common
near the entrance of the Pelorus.
The above are the most common kinds met
with, there were several others, especially small
birds.
All the birds in the bush are exceedingly tame:
the Weka is easily caught with a noose at the end
of a stick, the bird being attracted to the spot by
brushing the ground with a bough, or the noise
made by breaking pieces of stick.
The Robins are so exceedingly tame and un-
suspicious, that they pitch upon one\'s head or
shoulders when sitting quietly. The Pigeons are
even more tame or stupid, for they sit quietly on
the branches and allow two or three in succession
to be shot out of the same tree.
The Ducks are the only wary birds met with.


TREES.

Black Birch—exceedingly common, forming
the greater portion of the forest near the water\'s
edge.
Totara—of very large size in the forests at the
end of the Pelorus: several are pointed out by
the natives as being fine trees.
Kahikatea—Red Pine.
Manuka—Tea tree, of larger size than we any-
where before met with in the Northern Island.
Nikau—Palm (areca sapida) was found in
abundance and of great size; being about 180
miles further south than is mentioned in Dr.
Hooker\'s Flora of New Zealand.

Rimu—Drooping Pine, numerous and large.
Rata—plentiful and of large size.
Ti—Ti palm or Ti bush—common everywhere.
Supple-jacks—Karea of natives, numerous in
all the forests.
Kawa-Kawa—were of large size and numerous.
Tawa—plentiful, bearing a large blue-looking
fruit with a resinous taste, eaten by pigeons.
Flax—Korari of natives, of different kinds,
everywhere plentiful.
Tutu—the berries somewhat resemble those of
the Elder, the juice is wholesome and pleasant,
but the fruit, stalks, and seeds are poisonous.
Three of the men were poisoned by eating the
berries of this tree, without first separating the
fruitstalks and seeds; they were seized with con-
vulsions, delirium, retching, and a severe burning
pain in the throat and stomach, followed by a
swollen tongue and soreness of the throat. They
recovered from the convulsions and delirium in a
few hours without any medical assistance, and the
after consequences were easily removed by a brisk
purgative.
Tawai—a large tree, commonest of all the trees
in the Pelorus forests.
Ferns, mosses, and the other tribes of Crypto-
gamic plants, were exceedingly numerous and of
most luxuriant growth, the tree-ferns were particu-
larly large and beautiful. Upwards of ninety kinds
of ferns and club-mosses were found, and all, ex-
cepting about six species, are common to both the
North and Middle Islands. Of Mosses, Junger-
mannii, Liverworts, and Lichens, more than 140
kinds were collected, the greater number of them
being also found on the North Island.
New Zealand grass (native grass) is found in
the valleys and on the cleared spots on the neigh-
bouring hills of the Pelorus, but was not met with
in any quantity nearer than the Wairau Plains.


FISH.

Rock Cod—Pakirikiri of natives, red and brown
(or black), very numerous.
Snapper—Tamuti, not abundant.
Sea weeds and corallines are very scarce within
the Pelorus, although plentiful in different parts of
Cook\'s Straits.
Terakehi—not abundant.
Hapuka—plentiful near the entrance in deep
water.
Barracouta—plentiful near the entrance.
Conger—eel, occasionally met with.
Ling—about four feet long, and resembling the
European fish of the same name.
Whiting (or resembling the European whiting).
Kahawi.
Flat fish—Patiki, plentiful in the rivers at the
end of the Pelorus.
Eels, fresh water—common in the rivers and
swamps, and of great size. Some were seen more
than four feet long, and upwards of a foot in cir-
cumference at the largest part. The natives said
that they frequently found them much larger than
even this.
Herrings—a small kind, six to ten inches long.
Mullet—not numerous.
Sting-Ray—not very numerous.
Porpoises—occasionally seen a long distance
up the Estuary.
Sharks—small size, from four to six feet in
length.
Crayfish—at the entrance.
Oysters—a few, and bad tasted.
Mussels—many kinds and numerous.



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PDF PDF Nelson Provincial Gazette 1854, No 19





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🗺️ Continuation of report on the Pelorus Sound and surrounding geography (continued from previous page)

🗺️ Lands, Settlement & Survey
Pelorus Sound, Birds, Trees, Fish, Natural History, Botany, Zoology