426 



Transactions. 



ture that it was not a New-Zealander. The melody was not always sung 

 fully through ; more often it was broken after the first or second tremolo, 

 or after the theme ending on (j flat. Sometimes the two phrases enclosed 

 between single bars would be replaced by the phrase enclosed between 

 double bars ; but I repeatedly heard the full melody as above. On certain 

 days this bird was very plentiful ; and one day, there being but little bird- 

 song, I was trying Schubert's " Fisher-maiden " on my whistle, when no 

 less than four of them perched close beside me piping away most ener- 

 getically, and the louder I whistled the louder and faster they piped, as 

 if they thought it their duty to pipe me down. The pitch varied con- 

 siderably, but, as I doubted the bird's being a native, I was content to 

 take down the melody. A call which the bird sometimes uttered, with no 

 melody preceding or following, is shown in (2). Should this prove to be 

 the song of the Accentor, it would be interesting to know how it compares 

 with the song of the Home bird. 



Observations will have to be much more extended before any compari- 

 sons can be made or remarks offered on the different songs ; and I have 

 offered these incomplete notes in the hope that others who are in the bush 

 may be induced to record notes in various parts of the Islands, so that com- 

 plete records may be had of the songs of all our birds, in all the months of 

 the year, as well as in all localities. 



Additional Eecords taken in Decembeb, 1908, from Birds in the. 



SAME Bush. 



Bell-bird : The notes were similar to those taken last year. 



Tui : The following additional notes were obtained : — 



8va- 



'aL 



-Xjt^^tjlT^ : 



(4) 



^ y q > Y > 1 ^ z^ 



tiu tiu aitrr tsrr 



&va - T 



»va 



(8) 





tiu till aiirr till tiu aurr 



When uttering the notes a opening (4) the neck was stretched out, with 

 the bill half-open. The sounds represented by tiu tiu aurr were repeated 

 very quickly : the tiu was like the striking together of two hard stones, 

 the aurr being quite different — a decided guttural. The pitch was quite 

 distinctly e and a. These sounds took the place of the hree kraw krurr 

 heard last year. The tsrr was like the sound of a corkscrew being forced 

 through a stiff cork, and it, with the aurr preceding it, was very emphatic. 

 The high, sweet, slurred note following was sometimes succeeded by a very 

 soft, melodious, canary-like phrase, which bubbled, like honey transformed 

 to sound, in the throat of the bird, so softly that it could only be heard at 

 close quarters. I several times heard (4) sung the full length ; more often 

 it broke off after the tsrr, or after the slurred note. 



The note in (5) was repeated alone. It is " explosive," but very clear 

 and bell-like. It was only sounded once — that is, it was neither preceded 



