green-trees. Though so wild and wary when once beyond the limits of the sanctuary, the birds are here almost as tame as those upon the ornamental waters of the London parks. They stream off from the bank as the visitor approaches, alighting on the water at a distance of fifty yards, and taking no further notice of the intrusion, though well within range of a gun. Where the ilex grove ends, a bed of dried, rough grass fringes the water, through which a narrow-beaten track, made by foot-passengers and deer, runs to join the road across the dam. Something which was neither grass nor bushes blocked this track at the time of the writer's visit, apparently a dense growth of teazle-tops. A nearer view showed this to be a line of ducks' heads, all turned in one direction. The birds were standing on the path in a long line facing the water, the approach of the visitors having given the signal of "eyes left" to the whole regiment. Some five or six hundred mallard were soon afloat upon the water, while flight after flight of widgeon were seen passing over at a great height from the sea, to join those at the head of the lake.

The widgeon have not always frequented Holkham in such numbers. Formerly, a decoy at Langham, the working of which was one of the amusements of Captain Marryat, the naval novelist, absorbed the greater number of the birds which did not

spend the day out at sea. This decoy was closed in 1854, and since then the birds have repaired to Holkham. Mr. Alexander Napier, writing to Mr. Stevenson, the author of "The Birds of Norfolk," states that the widgeon do not begin to arrive until early in November, and then only in very small flocks. "The main body do not appear until well on in December, and then I should say that there are always more to be seen on the lake from the middle of

January to the enu of February than at any other time of the year; but their movements are largely governed by the weather. If the weather be fine and open, they do not show so early, but sit out at sea." This has been the case in the present mild season, and great though the number is which may

now be seen upon the lake, it does not represent a fifth part of the flock collected in the severe weather of the same date in 1895. Both wild-duck and widgeon leave the lake at night to feed in the vast stretch of creeks, samphire, salt-marshes, and ualf-reclaimed land which lends such strange beauty to the line of shore between Wells and Blakeney. In their choice of the hour of departure, these two species, so alike in form and in their habits when in security, exhibit one of those unexplained differences in degree of caution in the avoidance of danger, which is one of the puzzles of the sportsmannaturalist. The wild-duck leave at dusk, and nightly risk the chance of a shot from the "gunners" waiting on the marshes at flight time. The widgeon wait till dark, and, except on moonlight nights, seldom lose any of their number to the gun. As the fowlers are tramping home across the flats they hear the widgeon "like gales of wind" rushing high over the marshes; but the flocks are invisible, except when the moon is for a moment darkened by "a misk o' ducks" flitting across its beams in the winter sky.

From Chambers' Journal. HUNTING WILD HORSES IN NEW

ZEALAND.

BY E. M. KIRWAN.

In the centre of the north island of New Zealand there are large areas of poor volcanic country of no value to the agriculturist, and of small use to the squatter. Here are to be found herds of wild horses, the progeny of animals which have escaped from stations and homesteads. A favorite amusement of the local selectors, who are occasionally joined by visitors is to arrange hunts, when the sport afforded is generally of the most exciting description. The essentials for success are utter fearlessness in the saddle, a quick eye, and the possession of considerable bodily strength, combined with a medium weight. Given these, and the rest-a general knowledge of the country and handiness with the lasso-may be readily acquired. As

regards the latter, one has only to try the experiment to explode the hoary tradition that years of apprenticeship are required to make a man expert in the use of the green hide lasso. I know a young farmer, who is now on a visit to England, who became tolerably proficient after two days' practice, and his is by no means a solitary instance. The rope employed is generally between thirty and forty feet long, and the throw is given from a distance of some twenty feet. Mexican saddles are but rarely used, the New Zealanders preferring to depend upon the strength of the arm to pull up the flying animal with a jerk round the neck, which chokes it almost into insensibility, and brings it with a thud to the earth. The first time of going out to hunt wild horses must ever remain a red-letter day in the novice's life. A party may consist of two or three or four, but it seldom exceeds the latter number. There are sometimes a couple of ladies; and although their want of muscular strength and their unwillingness to practise make them poor hands with the lasso, still their light weight and magnificent horsemanship not unfre quently render their aid of no small value. It goes almost without saying that all must be well mounted, and the fact that the work is so rough on horses and "uses" them up so soon, is the chief reason of the pastime not being more followed than it is.

On nearing where the wild horses are known to be, some eminence is ascended from where a good view of the surrounding scrubby and sparsely timbered country may be obtained. As a rule, the herds number from ten to twelve, made up of mares and one stallion. No stallion will allow another stallion into his herd, and stubborn fights frequently occur between horses owing to this. The beaten males, after being expelled, join herds exclusively of stallions. On any herd being sighted by the hunters, a good idea generally be formed by the experienced man as to which route the animals will take in their way to the rugged hills, for which they invariably make when

can

disturbed. A scheme is mapped out to cut them off if possible, and the party scatters, each to take up his allotted position. Of course while doing this, every advantage is taken of the natural inequalities of the ground so as to escape observation. When the alarm is given, however, all need for caution is at an end, and each hunter puts his steed to full gallop. The stallion, the head of the herd, boldly comes out to meet him, and endeavors to distract attention from the rest. In some rare instances he is lassoed and captured at once, but he generally manages to rejoin his wives, which by this time have trooped into single file with his favorite mare in the lead. Should the herd be turned and get into difficulties, the stallion takes up his position in the van, and the great object is to cut him off from the rest. Should this be accomplished, both he and the mares become confused, and the lassoers often manage to take two or three per man. Instances have been known where horses have been thrown to the ground by the hunter giving a violent jerk to the animal's tail when it was making an abrupt turn. When his quarry is brought down, either by this method or the use of the lasso, the rider jumps from his steed, whips a "blinder" (a handkerchief is used when there is nothing else procurable) over the prostrate horse's eyes, and straps up one of its fore legs securely. If this is properly done, the animal may safely be left "until called for," for no horse thus secured can stray far. Should a man be so unlucky as to capture a branded horse, or a foal running with a branded mare, he cannot keep it; but all others become the property of the hunter, and after they undergo a roughand-ready process of breaking-in, are sold at prices ranging from twenty-five shillings to fifteen pounds each. The latter figure is, however, seldom reached, unless in the case of exceptionally fine stallions. Great numbers of these wild horses die from starvation in the winter time, but still the herds show no signs of diminution.