| Description | He has just returned from his travels and expects that Parker would like details of his trip to Karewa. He was landed on the island at 3.15pm on 8 January and it was a tedious business to cut scrub and set up his tent - the puffins [with a marginal note: 'shearwaters (Puffinus brevicandus)'] were beginning to arrive at twilight before he finished. He had dinner by the camp-fire and after preliminary skirmishes with puffins wanting to burrow into his tent, he set off with a bill-hook and caught eleven tuatara that evening. There were fewer than at his previous visit. More problems with puffins and his tent. Next morning there was a 'grand dissection' of the tuataras, but he got no information of value - depressed, he fished while thinking matters over. He caught no fish, but an idea instead. Returning to dissection he noted a distinct difference between the sexes, and lists the variations. He lists measurements of specimens caught and discusses his findings. He decided to find as many females as possible to take back with him and returned to collecting that night. Puffins made up their minds to attack him in thick scrub, where he lost his lantern. He used matches and a candle to try to get back to camp, but found himself looking into an 'impenetrable void' on the steep side of the island. His candle went out and he was left at the top of the island with a box of matches, a sack of tuatara, and a bill-hook. He deposited the sack and made his way back, eventually seeing the flickering camp-fire. He restocked with candles and retrieved his sack. He was fetched off the island the next day, carrying a score of live tuatara, more than half female. Parker may have eggs by his tuatara by the time he receives this letter, if not the event cannot be long delayed as the end of January must be about the right time. He does not understand why they did not meet with any last year, but perhaps the females hide themselves during the breeding season.
Parker was awarded a grant of £75 from the Royal Society's Donation Fund, in 1884, to acquire tuatara, apteryx, and other specimens, with another £25 available if necessary. |