Andersen. — New Zealand Bird-song. 287 



Alaelzel's metronome 120 crotchets are beaten in one minute. This would 

 mean two crotchets in a second, or four quavers, so that the combination 

 (2) (3) referred to, containing, say, six quavers uttered in a second and a 

 half, is practically in the tempo M.M. J = 120. It must be remarked 

 that the tempo of the whitehead's song varied exceedingly, from about 

 five to ten quavers a second — and that, too, within very short intervals of 

 time. The bird would appear to become momentarily excited, when the 

 notes increased both in tempo and in loudness. The combination (3) (4) 

 might be varied as (6), where again the low notes were clear whistles. 

 The slur entered into other calls, as in (7). This might be sung, at intervals, 

 many times in succession, the time occupied being a second and a half : 

 at times there was a vibrato on the slur. The slur of (8) was at times 

 preceded by fuller and slower whistles as in (11), notes richer and more 

 deliberate than the ordinary impatient warble notes. The time taken by 

 (11) was from a second and a half to two seconds : the opening notes were 

 sometimes sung alone, the E flat varying one to three in number. The 

 half-song (8) was also, at times, followed by higher down-slurs (9) and (10), 

 sometimes one, sometimes both, and (8) might then be repeated. The 

 full phrase (11) (9) (10) (9) (8), or like combination, formed the rudiments 

 of an agreeable song. The number of semiquavers in (8) and (11) was 

 quite indefinite. The notes of (12) and (13) made up phrases well suited 

 for song-building : the lower notes, as usual, were fuller and richer than 

 the higher, and (13) had a plaintive close. The notes B G were not slurred, 

 though they seemed connected in the phrasing, as though an intended slur 

 were broken by a momentary closure, keeping both notes pure. There 

 was a faint vibrato present, occasionally, on the G. The notes of (14) to 

 (16) were clear whistles, varying in number from three pairs upwards, about 

 four quavers a second. They were almost staccato, and were not always 

 clear, being at times vocalized as in (14), when it sounded as though the 

 bird had a stone in its mouth. The first short note was vocalized tu (short 

 " u " as in " but "). There was a curious and irregular variation in this 

 phrase : it might open as in (14), or the first four notes might be omitted ; 

 at times the last D was D flat, or the last two notes might be flat, as in (15), 

 or there might be a succession of flat and natural pairs as in (16). These 

 semitone variations were evidently under control, as the bird appeared to 

 sing one or other at will, and whichever was sung was clear and unhesitating. 

 The phrase (14) was reminiscent of the fantail's common song, and (17) 

 of a less common song by the same bird : the triplets, a clear rapid whistle, 

 were followed by the common enharmonic notes of (2). The phrase (18) 

 was sung for several minutes continuously, either singly at intervals, or 

 repeated twice, three times, or more. If three times, as in (19), a rapidly 

 developed accelerato took place, from about six to ten or more quavers a 

 second. In the vocalization the " i " and " e " were short. The sequence 

 was varied as in (20) and (21). 



Whilst the usual notes of the whitehead were simply phrases such as 

 the foregoing, repeated either singly or in various combinations, it had 

 also a true song — that is, a continuous strain, built up of various phrases 

 combined so as not to be mere repetition. A portion of such a song is 

 shown in (22). The phrases (b) and (c) entered into it largely, and these 

 gave to the song its canary-like character. The phrase (d) is (a) repeated 

 without rests, and with an accelerato running through it. Some of the 

 notes were whistles, some warbles ; those of (c) had the sound of being 

 slurred. 



