392 Transactions. 



Art. XLIX. — The Pipiwharauroa, or Bronze Cuckoo (Chalcococcyx lucidus), 



and an Account of its Habits. 



B}' Robert Fulton, M.D. 



{Read before the Otago Institute, 8ih June, 1909.] 



The bronze cuckoo is probably a native of New Guinea, and annually 

 migrates to New Zealand, passing through or near New Caledonia, the 

 Kermadecs, Norfolk Island, and, striking the coast from the western ocean, 

 traverses the islands, and even goes further on, appearing at the Chatham 

 and the Macquarie Islands (1) a day or so later, thus forming an additional 

 link in the large chain of evidence as to the original land-connection of the 

 various islands forming what is known as the New Zealand plateau. That 

 the birds come over the ocean from the north-west I will present evidence 

 later on ; but I would like to point out that they have been recorded at Lord 

 Howe Island. After sojourning with us for a few months, and producing 

 a considerable number of young ones, these summer visitors quietly return 

 to their home in the tropics. 



To the Maoris the cuckoos have been known as " the birds of Hawaiki," 

 and even the name " pipiwharauroa " is used alike for the bronze cuckoo 

 and for the constellation of the ark or canoe (2) — a distinct evidence that 

 at one time it was known to the Natives to have some dim connection with 

 those far-ofi lands from which their first canoes came. The meaning of the 

 name has puzzled me, and I have several suggestions to put forward on 

 this point. A derivation that seems possible to me is " pipirau whawharua " 

 — pipirau means " some portion of the spirit-world," and whawharua " a 

 mother or ancestress " — that is to say, this curious cuckoo is a bird whose 

 mother M'e know nothing about, but who we think comes from some por- 

 tion of the spirit-world. The word " pipi " is used for the large cockle- 

 shell, then for the two halves separate, then for a double canoe : " the 

 mother or ancestress who came in the double canoe." I need not multiply 

 instances, but I hope that some of our Maori scholars will look up this 

 point, and make quite clear whether the name came with the Maoris from 

 some far-away islands, or whether it is a comparatively new name formed 

 from some word or words having reference to the habits of the bird. 



Another name for the bird is " whenakonako." WhenaJco is a robber, 

 and nako is to dig or scratch (2). This may mean " the robber who digs his 

 way into the earth," or merely " robber," with a repetition of the last two 

 syllables. The Maoris were well acquainted with the bird, with its curious 

 appearance and disappearance, its evidence of early spring-time, and its 

 detestable habit of inflicting its young upon other birds ; but it is strange 

 that, so far as I can gather, they have not put on record any observations 

 of its destruction of its foster-brothers or sisters, though this could hardly 

 escape the notice of such keen students of nature. The bronze cuckoo was 

 first described by Forster (1) in 1872, who called it Cuculus nitens, the 

 glistening cuckoo, or the poupouarouro of the Natives. Gmelin (1) called 

 it Cuculus lucidus in 1790 ; Lesson altered the name to Chalcites lucidus ; 

 Gray, from Dieffenbach's specimens, used the name Chrysococcyx lucidus, 



