^"'906 '■] M'Lean, The Fern-Bird of New Zealand. 3 



heard is a sharp tu-t, best imitated by sounding the first syllable 

 quickly and then sharply sucking the tongue from the front of the 

 mouth. This note — one of suspicion, I should call it — is uttered, 

 say, every six or seven seconds. When suspicion changes to 

 alarm or concern, the first syllable is not sounded, and it becomes 

 V, more frequently repeated. Absolute rage and anger, when the 

 young are molested, produce an extremely sharp tak ! which 

 sounds like the tap made by sharply striking two pieces of hard 

 dry wood across each other, and similar to the sharp tak of the 

 bones used by nigger minstrels. It is sufficiently loud and 

 sharp, when sounded within a couple of feet of one's head, 

 really to vibrate on the ear. Tit-it is a modification of 

 ///-'/, and another call is best expressed by the native name 

 "' koro-a-tV (pronounced coro-ar-te). It is heard when a pair 

 is disturbed close at hand. On hot summer days the bird 

 may be heard at intervals of three or four seconds calling 

 to its mate at a distance a slightly plaintive, ringing tu-nlt, 

 which I have likened to the ring of a distant anvil. But 

 the Fern-Bird's most peculiar call is an imploring, plaintive, 

 ringing tu-we-lt. This is only occasionally heard, and generally 

 on dull days or towards sunset, and as it floats across from far 

 out in the silent marsh one can almost imagine a lost Fern-Bird. 

 Tu-wc-lt ! " Oh ! where are you and where am I ? " At the 

 nest the old birds make a great hubbub, rushing wildly round and 

 in and out of the tussock, scolding all the while, and I feel sure 

 both birds utter the tak ! tak! which is really ear-splitting. I 

 took down on the spot the notes used on these occasions, and 

 render them thus — Skwfi, skzvii, sqnrr, kur-r-r-kur, tak ! tak ! 

 . . . . tak ! then again skzufi, skive, squr, tak ! squv-r-r tak ! 

 tak ! These are all the notes I have heard from the Fern-Bird, 

 and both sexes use them. The young can make a fair sqnfi and 

 sqiirr when handled, but at other times a faint t has been 

 remarked, and that very seldom. 



Panapa Waihopi, a leading native of this district, has told me a 

 little story in connection with the calls of this bird. In the old 

 days, when a native went at evening to set his eel-basket in some 

 hole in a creek, he was always on the look-out for omens. If on 

 visiting a likely hole the Fern-Bird in the neighbouring vegeta- 

 tion called t, t, t, a plentiful catch of " tuna " was assured ; if, on 

 the other hand, ti-ko-re was uttered, it was madness to place the 

 basket there, and a more propitious spot must be sought, 

 for not an eel would enter the trap after this warning cry. 



I have heard the same story, but with the word ki-po-ki used 

 instead oi koro-a-ti, from a Hawke Bay native. 



The birds are noticed in pairs early in August ; October is 

 the usual nesting month. Eggs have also been taken in No- 

 vember and December. Young noted principally in November. 



The nest is usually placed right in the centre of and low 



