Andersen. — New Zealand Bird-song. 



593 



Art. LVI. — New Zealand Bird-song: Further Notes. 

 By Johannes C. Andersen. 



[Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 4th November, 1914.] 



The figures accompanying this article contain the new notes observed since 

 publication of the paper in the Transactions of 1912 (Trans. N.Z. Inst., 

 vol. 45, p. 387). As before, for convenience of reference, the variations 

 in the notes of each species of bird have been numbered consecutively 

 from (1) onwards, the earlier numbers appearing in the Trans. N.Z. 

 Inst., vol. 41, p. 422; vol. 43, p. 656; and vol. 45, p. 387: reference 

 is at times made to these earlier-numbered variations. The notes 

 from the bush in the vicinity of Hokitika were noted at a time when 

 the birds were not yet in full spring song — from the middle of July, 

 through August, and into the first week of September, 1914 — the 

 weather being generally fine, but with only two or three really warm days. 

 Those noted during the summer of 1913-14 are from the Stony Bay Bush, 

 Banks Peninsula. This bush had been preserved uncut from the time of 

 settlement of the Peninsula ; but old Mr. Boleyn dying last year, the sons 

 have now commenced the destruction of the bush, a sawmill being erected 

 in 1914. When notes were heard on one day only, the date on which they, 

 were heard is given. 



The Tui. 



There was little variation of song in 1913-14, and few birds singing. 

 The common theme was as in (80). The full theme was heard only twice 

 or three times; more often it discontinued at the double bar at 3, this 

 portion of the song occupying three to four seconds in utterance ; less often 



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it included all up to the double bar at 4. The sound of the notes was flute- 

 like, the last ones only being susceptible of vocalization. The final two 

 notes were often uttered alone. The parts of the theme numbered 3 and 4 

 were extremely varied, as shown in (80a) to (80g) inclusive. Whilst singing, 

 the bird sat with head thrust out and upwards until the kraw was uttered, 

 when it was lowered and thrust downwards, and kept down for the second 

 four notes : these were almost always four in number ; occasionally three 

 or five. The themes in (81) and (81a) are variants made by using the notes 



