30 NEW ZEALAND BIRDS. 



" This bird derives its popular name from a i)eeuliarity in the 

 distribution ot" its two strongly-contrasted colours, black and ferru- 

 ginous, the latter of whicli covers the back, forms a sliarply-defiued 

 margin across the shoulders, and sweeps over the Avings in a manner 

 suggestive of saddle-flaps. The colours, in tlie male bird especially, 

 are of so decided a kind as to attract special attention, to say nothing 

 of the loiul notes and eccentric habits of this remarkable bird. The 

 bill is strong, sharply cut, and wedge-shaped, being well adapted for 

 digging into decaying vegetable matter in search of larva?, grubs, 

 and insects, on which this species largely subsists. From the angle 

 of the mouth on eacli side there hangs a fleshy wattle, or caruncle, 

 shaped like a cucumber-seed, and of a changeable bright yellow 

 colour. The wings are short and feeble, and the flight of the bird, 

 though rapid, is very laboured, and always confined to a short 

 distance. 



" The range of this species extends as far north as the Lower 

 Waikato, beyond which district it is only rarely met with. It is 

 numerous in the wooded ranges between Waikato Heads and Raglan, 

 and is occasionally found in the neighbourhood of the Ilunua Coal- 

 fields ; but I liavc never heard of its occurrence in the Tauranga dis- 

 trict, on the East Coast, although I have an excellent ornithological 

 correspondent there. In the summer of 1852 I obtained a pair at 

 the Kaipava ; but the bird Avas decidedly a vara avis, few of the Natives 

 in that part of the country being familiar with it 



*' Active in all its movements, it seldom remains more than a few 

 seconds in one ])osition, but darts through the branches or climbs the 

 boles of the ti'ccs, performing the ascent by a succession of nim])le 

 hops, and often spirally. It is naturally a noisy bird, and when 

 excited or alarmed becomes very clamorous, hurrying through the 

 woods with cries of ' tiaki-rere,' quickly repealed. At other times it 

 has a scale of short flute-notes, clear aiul musical ; l)ut tiie most 

 remarkable exhibition of its vocal powers takes place during the 

 breeding-season, when the male performs to his mate in a soft strain 

 of exquisite sweetness. '^Diis love-song is heard only on a near 

 approach, and it is at first diflicult to believe that so clamorous a bird 

 could be capable of such tender strains." — Bullek. 



Heteealocua. Gray. 



Bill, acutely pointed ; fifth, sixth, and seventh qiiilli? equal, and longest ; tarsi, much 

 longer than the middle toe ; hind toe about one-half the length of the tarsus ; tongue, not 

 extensile, furnished with iibrilUr for one-third of its length from the tip. 



Now Zealand only. 



