One of the greatest drawbacks in an English gentleman's eyes to living in New Zealand is the want of sport.

There is absolutely none.

There used to be a few quails, but they are almost extinct now; and during four years' residence in very sequestered regions I only saw one.

Wild ducks abound on some of the rivers, but they are becoming fewer and shyer every year.

The beautiful Paradise duck is gradually retreating to those inland lakes lying at the foot of the Southern Alps, amid glaciers and boulders which serve as a barrier to keep back his ruthless foe.
Even the heron, once so plentiful on the lowland rivers, is now seldom seen.