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Chapter VI. The native land animals of New Zealand are not numerous. The most common is said to be one resembling our fox-dog, which is sometimes eaten for food. It runs wild in the woods, and is described by Savage as usually of a black and white skin, with pricked up ears, and the hair rather long. But it may perhaps be doubted if even this quadruped is a native of the country.* According to Rutherford the pigs run wild in the woods, and are hunted by dogs. He also mentions that there are a few horned cattle in the interior, which have been bred from some left by the discovery ships. No other account, however, confirms this statement. There are in New Zealand a few rats, and bats; and the coasts are frequented by seals of different species. One of the natives told Cook that there was in the interior a lizard eight feet long, and as thick as a man’s body, which burrowed in the ground, and sometimes seized and devoured men. This animal, of the existence of which we have the additional *Craik is correct in this surmise. The Maori dog, Canis familiaris, (Variety Maorium). which is now extinct, was introduced to New Zealand when the Maoris came at the time of their great migration, about 500 years ago. 118