424 



Transactions, 



I saw only two parrakeets (kakariki — Cyanoramphus novcB-zealandice) 

 during the week, and from them obtained (1) and (2) following : — 



BvcL... 



(2) 



rif m'r 



The first notes sounded very like the words " Take me back," and were 

 repeated at fairly long intervals. The quality of the parrakeet's note differs 

 considerably from any others that I heard : it could be imitated on an 

 oboe or clarionet ; the tui and bell-bird might be imitated on a mellow flute, 

 though it would be difficult to render the high notes with sufficient softness. 

 The weka {Ocydromus) was fairly common, but I obtained only two 

 calls, as follow : — 



9va^. 



Hi, 



(I) 



i"~ p '-, fT f '-, i'^ r 'v 



(2) 



i't^- jZ^ 



The first call was the usual one ; I heard the second only once. These I 

 take to be the call of the female weka ; for, according to an old Maori war- 

 tale, the cry of the female is 'ko-ee, ko-ee, Iv-ee, whilst that of the male is 

 tee-waka, tee-waka. 



Of all the songs I heard, the most interesting to me was that of the grey- 

 warbler (riroriro — Pseudogerygone igata). In the bush, it was the least 

 developed of the songs that had got beyond a mere twatter, such as that 

 of the fantail — that is, it has not yet acquired a definite succession of 

 phrases, nor is the range of notes at all wide ; but, whilst it is the least 

 developed, it shows great possibilities for varied development. The warbler 

 is one of the native birds commonly found around human habitations ; it 

 may constantly be heard, especially in the morning ; and the peculiar thing 

 is that away from the bush, possibly under the influence of introduced song- 

 birds, the song of the warbler has acquired a certain definiteness. The melody 

 that may be heard almost every morning in any part of Christchurch is 

 shown in (1) : — 



Sea. 



StfOi. 



(1) 



r ^rt 



(2) 



PP 



The phrases always follow in this sequence when the full song is sung. It 

 may break off at any part, or, if continued beyond the notes written, it is 

 an exact repetition." There is, however, a variation that I have heard in 

 the song of the town bird ; the variation is irt the four concluding notes, 

 as shown in (2). Here an enharmonic note is introduced, adding still more 

 to the plaintiveness of the melody. The last note is invariably much lighter 

 than those preceding, and there is a distinct accent on the first note of every 

 phrase of five. Last year, when the variation was introduced, I did not 

 once hear the song continued beyond it : this year I have heard one bird con- 

 tinue it, repeating the variation. The song is very sweet, though so highly 

 pitched. On hearing the variation, one is impressed by the idea that it is 

 a late development, as there is a hesitation in the uttering of the enharmonic 

 note : the interval introduced, too, is wider than usual. Knowing this 

 song, it was with surprise that I heard the very different song of the bush- 

 warbler. The phrase of five notes, the last a semitone below the first four, 



