^°'-^^'] INI'Lean, Bu^h-Birds of Neiv Zealand. 73 



its haunts, and on wet or foggy days is often almost the only 

 sound that breaks the siii'nce of the bush. It consists of the 

 one note " See " repeatetl deliberately though rapidly three 

 times — " See-see-see." Generally this single call is heard, and 

 some minutes may elapse before it occurs again, but some- 

 times it is uttered twice or even three times at intervals of a 

 second or two. Rarely is the call of two notes — " See-see " — 

 and ouK' occasionally does it appear in four or five-syllabled fonn. 

 It is soiuuK'd wliile the biid is at rest, and the effort of pro- 

 ducing it often exposes the bright orange interior of the mouth. 

 As noted elsewhere, it is an autumn and winter call, but young males 

 use it, in a weak form, when they first begin to call in summer. 

 The only call I know of the female is rarely heard — a soft " See't " 

 of one note only. 



The trill (see Music Plate. No. i), confined to the male, is its 

 song, and while it lasts the winter call is noticeable by its absence. 

 Although in a record, as possessed by the writer, extending over 

 a numbei- of years, it might be possible to find a note of its use 

 under every month of the year, the utterance of this trill at any 

 other time than in spring or summer would be quite exceptional. 

 It consists of the eight warbled notes, rarely sounded except 

 when at rest. Occasionally the whole trill is duplicated without 

 any pause : sometimes only the last four notes a^^e repeated, and 

 as a rule there is a slight weakening towards the end of the bar, 

 and a note is lost. 



These birds always frequented the cleared space made around 

 each camp, and came close about the tents, but never entered ; 

 and only once have I seen one attempt to make use of the scra])s 

 of food lying near. On 8th August. 1907. after rough weather, 

 a male was seen to peck once or twice among some litter, but 

 even then I could not say what he took ; and the sudden appear- 

 ance of a very active cat induced him to hurriedly depart without 

 further examination. He must have forgotten all about the 

 scraps, for he never visited that spot again At times the Pied 

 Tit seems quite sociably inclined, and has been known to accept 

 a crumb elsewhere ; * but, although many invitations have been 

 issued, I am still looking forward to the day when one will 

 condescend to share a meal with me. However, in autumn 

 and winter, among themselves, they appear sociable enough, and 

 often a few might be seen enjoying the sun as they played about 

 in some sequestei'ed spot ; but even then I always imagined I 

 could detect, in the eye of each, some lurking distrust of his 

 neighbour. 



Local only in so far as the destruction of the scrub and bush 

 has forced him to become, the Pied Tit is to be found at all times, 

 just as often on the highest ranges, where snow is sometimes 

 seen, as in the warmest valleys and creek-bottoms ; but it cannot 

 prosper without its native trees. Upon the " burns " and 



* " .\niinals of New Zealand," p. 73. 



