Andeksen. — New Zealand Bird-sonq. 



425 



evidently the basic phrase, was constant, but the combination of the 

 variously pitched phrases followed no sequence that I could discover. It 

 meandered on in the way shown below : — 



Si'o 



TrrrtrcrrTrtrrr^^r.rTrflTTrcrr^rrprrt 



There was nothing regular nor determinate : the phrases did not always 

 fall in three sequences, a higher interval following as frequently as a lower : 

 the song, too, was prolonged indefinitely, as if the bird itself had no idea 

 of rounding it off. In the bush I only once had the good fortune to actually 

 see a warbler singing. It was perched on the topmost branchlet of a ribbon- 

 wood at the edge of the bush, which lay below it in a deep valley, and it sat 

 turned towards the trees below, facing, with outstretched neck, now this 

 way, now that, singing like a prima donna to a rapt audience. I have often 

 seen the dilating and throbbing throat of a singing-bird, but in this warbler 

 not only the throat but the skin completely round the neck seemed puffed 

 out with ruffled feathers, and throbbed as the bird sang its long, irregular, 

 indeterminate, minor melody. This was the most tantalizing of the songs : 

 I constantly heard it, faintly as if far away in the bush, and it repeatedly 

 distracted me into endeavouring to catch a sequence in its measures whilst 

 I was taking the pitch of other notes. I was unsuccessful, however, in 

 obtaining any definite sequence beyond the five notes of the basic phrase. 

 The pitch is very high, and I do not know of any instrument by which it 

 could be imitated. 



Another very highly pitched note was that of what I assume to be a 

 young bush-wren or rifleman (titipounamu — Acanthidositta chloris). It 

 was the only bird of the kind I saw, and it sat on a vine a couple of yards 

 away, uttering the very faint, cheeping notes : — 



2 Sua. 



ggg 



It was hardly louder than the chirp of a cricket, and though so high in pitch 

 was remarkably sweet and plaintive. 



There was one bird which I was unable to identify, either on the spot 

 or subsequently, though now I think it may be a hedge-sparrow [Accentor 

 tnodularis). It was a little larger than a sparrow, dark grey, with darker 

 colouring along the upper parts, and tail long and narrow. I saw it singing 

 several times : it clung to a vine, moved its head a little from side to side 

 as it sang, its tail quivering as the note with the tremolo, as shown in the 

 melody below (1), was uttered : — 



0,1 q 



i.'J 



As will be seen, the melody, which is very regular and distinct, is much 

 longer than that of any other of the bush birds ; and this led me to conjee- 



