Andersen. — New Zealand Bird-song. 



529 



wings quivering as if to the vibrato of the song. She was pale dove-grey 

 on the breast — a beautiful soft colour — and darker on the back. This pair, 

 seen at Khandallah on the 27th August, 1916, was the first to give an 

 indication of spring. The song was varied as in (37b), descending in 

 semitones. The variant (37c) was heard in Wilton's Bush on the 23rd 

 September, 1916. 



A variant of the rambling song is (38). This consists of two parts- — 

 the opening and the part between the double bars, the repetition of the 

 latter, twice or more, constituting the main part of the song : heard on 

 the 27th August, 1916. It was varied as in (38a), heard in Wilton's Bush 

 on the 23rd September, 1916 — a theme very quickly sung, all in about a 

 second, repeated three or four times. It was still further varied as in (38b) ; 

 and this, too, is a lovely variant of the type song, rising and falling instead 

 of falling and rising, in the manner of (27) and (27a). The song was heard 

 in the distance on the 10th October, 1916 ; and, judging by songs of like 

 nature, it would sound as (38c) if close at hand. No. (39), a theme repeated 

 three or four times, is another curious vocalization, heard in Wilton's Valley 

 on the 23rd September, 1916. At a distance the theme ended with a rest, 

 but near at hand the rest was filled with a soft slur, and this was repeated 

 each time with the other notes. 



The Shining Cuckoo. 



In the summer of 1915 I first heard the cuckoo, in the Botanical Gar- 

 dens, on the 6th October. The two upward notes were repeated four or 

 five times, but no down slur. It was heard again on the day following, 

 and on most days thereafter until the end of the year. I did not hear it 

 after my return from the Motueka Valley at the e*nd of January. The 

 down slur was first heard on the 22nd November, when the first notes were 



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G A, and the slur G F. The day was sunny and warm, after cold weather, 

 and all the birds were lively. The down slur was F to B three times 

 repeated on the 11th December, after upward slur G to A six times 

 repeated, and after a pause F B, F B, a pause, and again F B. The opening 

 notes were also G A at Pangatotara, Motueka Valley, on the 16th January, 

 1916. 



In the summer of 1916 I first heard the cuckoo on the 25th September. 

 I was in Wilton's Bush, and, hearing the down slurs, took them for the 

 notes of a practising thrush. But I was undeceived when the ordinary 

 upward slurs sounded, followed by the down slurs. I had been attracted 

 by a beautiful pendulet of white clematis looped in the upper branches of 

 a graceful putaputaweta (Carpodetus serratus), and was seated under this 

 tree when the cry sounded. I did not, however, see the bird until it flew 

 off, though it had been sitting on the high bare branch of a dead tree just 

 above me. It had probably been perched, cuckoo-wise, along instead of 

 across the branch. The notes were those of (6). I have not been able to 



