524 



Transactions. 



the bell-birds also joined in, but I am not sure. So far as I remember, one 

 bird used to start, and then all the birds within earshot joined in. In any 

 case, I remember it as one of the finest pieces of orchestral music I ever 

 listened to. I have lately spoken to two or three others, who agree with 

 me in most of the above remarks." 



Mr. W. H. S. Moorhouse, Wellington, writes : " I was on a boat at 

 anchor in the harbour [at Port Hardy, north of D'Urville Island], and just 

 before daylight a single bell-bird started a few notes, and almost immediately 

 afterwards thousands of birds from every side of the harbour started a most 

 glorious chorus, which continued for three or four minutes and then as 

 suddenly ceased. It was not possible to determine the notes of the different 

 birds, any more than an amateur could say what instruments composed 

 a huge band. The chief songsters in the harbour at other times were tui, 

 bell-bird, and lark ; also the smaller birds were in great numbers — ground- 

 robins, fantails, white-eyes, &c. • — but probably these would not join in 

 the chorus. At the time 1 speak of the whole harbour-sides were clothed 

 with dense bush, which I find on my last visit has almost entirely gone 

 to give place to sheep. The year was 1902, December." 



The Fantatl. 



The song (14) was heard at Khandallah (near Wellington) on the 24th 

 October, 1915. The sound was almost a whistle, but half-vocalized as noted. 

 The song was made up of the theme, shown between the double bars, repeated 

 several times without break, the theme taking about two seconds, so that 

 if repeated five times the song lasted, say, ten seconds. The very soft 



O'V , 



S-V<3 



I rt^t 



J c/,,/- c4// cA>' g*"* 



<" M£j'?li> <* (frWEfi w fe fl A* ^ ^ fll 



Atrc^/c-a hree<f>'e-a 



fe-e fe^e fe-t 



Ave&a ti *> ***** /v A " fa**'''* 

 t*-eet fives* 



introductory note was not repeated with the theme ; only at the opening 

 of the song. The two pairs of slurred notes were at times three pairs. The 

 most characteristic song heard in the scrubs, shrubberies, and clumps of 

 native bush about Wellington is that of (15), varied as in (15a) and (15b). 

 The notes, which may be twenty or more in number, arranged in pairs, are 

 sharp whistles, unslurred and unvocalized. The eight pairs of (15) were 

 uttered in about four seconds, and were heard in Tinakori Road on the 26th 

 October, 1915, the ten pairs of (15a) being heard in the Botanical Gardens 



