5

C.-6

Item 16. — Cost of Surveys, &c., of Scenic Reserves.

APPENDIX B. Report by the Inspector of Scenic Reserves (Mr. E. Phillips Turner, F.RG.S.). On account of the necessity for keeping down travelling-expenses and the fact that owing to the war no large purchases of land could be contemplated, I have during the last year made only a few field inspections, and most of my time has been devoted to matters connected with forestry and other technical matters. The reserves inspected were Kauri Gully, Wilton's Bush, Motutara, Taihape, Silverstream, Paraparaumu, French Pass, Te Tuhi, Ohakune, and Rangataua. Damage by Fires, Stock, &c. Although the past summer has been one of abnormal drought, no serious accidental fires have been reported. The exterior of one of the reserves near Ohakune got scorched by a fire that spread from an adjoining farm ; but if stock are kept out it will not be long before young mahoe, houhou, and fuchsia restore the green fringe. A considerable portion of a reserve up the Wanganui River was felled and burned by a Maori. The police are taking action in this matter with a view to prosecuting the offender. In oases where there are open grass or fern areas in a scenic reserve it is generally desirable that they should be leased for grazing, but it is essentia] that such areas should be fenced off, as otherwise stock will be sure to invade the bush, and in the end destroy the natural undergrowth. Even many lovers of the forest do not realize the importance of the exclusion, of stock. When allowed in our native forests, stock will eat seedling trees which are growing to replace other trees that are dying from disease or old age ; they bruise exposed roots of trees (the roots of most of our trees run along the surface of the: ground) and make wounds that at once become points of attack for wood-eating insects and wooddestroying fungi, the latter of which will often extend their filaments right through the barrel, of the •.•tree, finally killing it; they eat or break down the various plants composing the undergrowth, and in this way make it possible for drying winds to blow through the forest; by their trampling they destroy the spongy nature of the surface soil and thus lessen its water-holding properties, and also make impossible its aeration; finally, by destroying the native shrubs and small plants, stock make the conditions favourable for noxious weeds and animals to establish themselves in the forest. Itejjj During the year a man was successfully prosecuted for removing timber from a scenic reserve near Ohakune, and a substantial penalty inflicted. It is hoped that this will be a warning to other persons not to interfere with these reserves. Native Birds. Being in South Otago on forestry work in the spring, I took the opportunity to inspect some of the reserves in the vicinity of Papatowai, and I regret to say that I noticed fewer native birds than when I first visited this district in 1908. Numerous exploded cartridges in the bush seem to indicate that shooting has played some part in this decrease, though it does not explain the paucity of the smaller birds. Though kakas and parrakeets were plentiful in 1908, on this occasion I saw none of the former and only one or two of the latter. As these two birds build in holes in trees, it is possible that weasels and stoats are to some extent responsible for their decrease. Whilst going through a swampy part of the bush I managed to save a wild duck which in trying to beat off a weasel from, attacking its young ones in a small pool had itself got caught by the enemy just as I got to the spot. It is hard to account for the decrease in the forest of some of our small native birds which are not shot, and the habits of which, do not make them liable to fall a prey to the weasels and stoats. To some extent, of course, imported birds have lessened the food-supply, and it is possible that the imported birds have brought diseases which the native birds have not been able to withstand. In striving for the preservation and protection of our native birds most people are actuated by sentimental reasons, but the utilitarian should also be interested in their preservation, as many of them are partly or altogether insectivorous. The tomtits, wren, robin, fantail, rifleman, whitehead (native canary), and native crow are purely insectivorous ; the tui and bell-bird are partly insectivorous ; and even the kaka and kingfisher feed largely on grubs which are found in dead twigs and trees. The

i Name of Reserve. Particulars of Block, &c. Amount. Summit Road Valuations, legal expenses, &c. Advertising Survey of Reserves 3002, 3064, and 3235 £ s. d. 70 10 0 25 4 0 8 8 0 £104 2 0