Reischek. — On the Habits of .W'w Zealand Birds. 101 



except for scientific purposes. Parents and school teachers 

 should instruct their children and pupils not to molest these 

 useful birds during the breeding season, or to destroy their 

 nests for the mania of collecting their eggs or young. There 

 are the museums, where local and foreign collections are repre- 

 sented for instruction, free to public inspection ; and if the New 

 Zealand birds are not protected, or insectivorous birds imported, 

 the country will suffer and the beautiful forests will only resound 

 with tbe humming of insects, instead of the melodious songs of 

 the feathered inhabitants. Already several species have dis- 

 appeared from the mainland, especially on the northern portion 

 of the North Island, or are extremely rare, such as Pogonornis 

 cinrta, Stich-bird (Tiora) ; Anthomis melanura, Bell-bird (Kuri- 

 mako) ; Orthonyx albicilla, White-head (Popokatea) ; Petroica 

 longipes, Wood-robin (Totowai) ; Petroica (Toitoi) ; Pied Tit 

 (Meromero) ; Creadion caruneulatus, Saddle-back (Tieke) ; 

 Tumagra hectori, North Island Thrush (Piopio) ; Stringops 

 (Kakapo) ; Coturnix nov<e-zealandia;, Quail ; Athene albifacies, 

 Laughing Owl (Whekau). 



Halcyon vagans. — Kingfisher (Kotare). 



This bird is very useful in destroying insects. It is very 

 interesting to watch this bird in the breeding season, when 

 boring its holes in rotten trees, which is accomplished with 

 the bill, sitting on an opposite tree and darting at the place 

 where it is intent on boring a hole, splint by splint, till he gets 

 tired, when his mate begins to work. I saw them sometimes 

 striking at a tree with such force that they got stuck, and had to 

 twist about to extricate the bill. Near the nest they are very 

 spiteful ; anything passing the tree they dart at, and, owing to 

 this habit, they sometimes kill young ducks or chickens if their 

 nests are near a farm-house. I saw even dogs and cats with 

 an eye destroyed by the Kingfisher's dart. I found their nests 

 often several miles inland, away from any creeks or rivers, but 

 during the winter they inhabit the seashore. 



MELiPHAciDiE. — Honey-eaters. 



There are three species in New Zealand. Every old settler 

 wiU remember the clear notes of the Bell-bird (Anthomis mela- 

 nura), or the mocking of the Tui (Prosthemadera novce-zealandia). 

 These birds are very useful, as they destroy numbers of insects 

 during the breeding season. 



Xenicus. — Wren, two species. 



These birds, which are becoming very rare, live entirely on 

 insects; also Acanthisitta, Rifleman (Titipounamu), which I saw 

 from early morning until late at night, climbing up and down 

 trees and branches investigating every crevice for insects. 



