From all Sources. 187 



the nest, ;if lor put icii( peerini;, will lie foniiil usually (kt;[) sut amongst tiic 

 saw-toothed blades. 



I believe tliat in (lie Xo.lli island, it not in the South, tlio Feni bird 

 is better known as tlie " riick." a name wliicii IMr. Smith uses in hi.s letter to 

 me. it has carneil the name by a jui-uliarly melanelioly little note it utlens, 

 reseml)lint^ " n tick, u tick " " When the shades of evening arc closing in," 

 Sir Walter linllcr wrote in isss, ■ ihc call is emitted with greater frequency 

 and eneigy, and in some dreary solitmles it is almost the only sound that 

 breaks the oi)piissive stillness. In the INlanawatu district, where there are 

 continuous iau[)o swamps, covering an area of 5l),()U0 acres or more, I have 

 l)articidaily remarked this. I'L^eept for the peevish cry of the Pukeko, heard 

 occasionally, and the boom of the lonely Bittern, the only animate sound 

 that I could detect was the monotonous cry of this little bird calling to its 

 fellows as it threaded its way among the tangled growth of reeds." I do not 

 know if the Maoris still entertain a predjudice against this, the most harm- 

 less and innocent bird in the world, but it certainly was treated harshly in 

 former times. Amongst some tribes it was the custom when a party went 

 out against a hostile tribe to avenge a murder, but returned the same day 

 without having met anybody upon whom vengeance could be wrecked, to 

 catch a few Fern-birds and tear them to pieces. Each member of the party 

 tied a limb to two fernstalks, which he held in his hands. When the party 

 came in sight of the village to which it was returning, the members sat in a 

 line, and holding up the sticks, sang in chorus the following invocation to 

 the gods : — 



I\laru ! Heal, oli, heal the wound 



Of him who was broken and bruised ! 



1 invoke thy power to strike 



The back of the head of him 



Who caused life's stream to flow ; 



And thou, Tu, strike, oh, strike as he flies. 



From the Netc Zealand Hendd, per F. Howe. 



Editorial. 



Nesting Notes: These are always of intei^est, but the 

 season is late in many aviaries, as the early spell caused an 

 extra early start and most of these earlier nests failed and the 

 long continued cold of May has all combined to make the 

 season one of the latest for some years; but, there are many 

 indications that it will be a good one. Some of the freely 

 imported species are doing well: Zebra iFinches in many 

 aviaries have their first bi'oods on the wing, and in Capt. 

 Ileeve's aviary a second brood has left the shelter oi Zebra 

 castle. In the same aviaries Cuba Finches are nesting. 



In Mr. Bainbridge's aviary at Tliorpe Jacariui Finches 



