^"'^^^y-] M'Lkan, Biiih-Birds of New Zealand. lyy 



one day (Otli September, iqoO) on a part where a Hock of some 

 20 Whiteheads was busy, more or less, in love-making. The 

 scrub was not so dense just here, and in places the sun reached in 

 to lower limbs and to the leaf-strewn ground. I spent a little 

 while enjoying the picture ])resented by the birds, and in this 

 sheltered spot they were so intent upon their courting as to be 

 quite indifferent to my presence. What an opportunity for a 

 camera ! Brilliant sun shining on the little groups of three — 

 two males displaying bt fore a female— gambolling on a single 

 branch, low down and close to hand, their plumage perfect, and 

 their snowy heads in contrast with the jet-black bills. At one 

 time three such little grou}:)S were in full view, and no doubt others 

 were in the vicinity, while overhead odd males, with clear tinkled 

 trill, displayed their vocal powers in the tops of the adjacent trees. 

 Lower down no singing was indulged in, but the remaining suitors 

 used many twittering notes while paying their addresses to 

 willing females, and all was peaceful as compared with the noisy 

 exhibitions of some weeks ago. On a sunlit branch some 5 or 6 

 feet from the ground sits an attentive female ; on each side, a 

 few inches off, is an admiring male. With drooped and quivering 

 wings and widespread, fan-like tail, each male slo~'dy advances 

 towards the interested female in the centre, and, wit^many bows 

 and courtesies and elevation of the tail, does his best to charm and 

 win the day. Now one receives some slight encouragement, and 

 hops back along the branch in the hope that she may side with 

 him But no ; his rival, now left closer to the female, demands 

 a share, and he returns with twist and turn and many twittering 

 notes to try again. The puzzled female cannot choose between 

 them ; first to one and then to the other she turns, only to be 

 called round again. At length she moves forward as if to 

 accompany one, and off he goes once more : but his rival, by gentle 

 touch of wing behind, stays the female's departure, and with 

 many bows reminds her that he, too, is in the field. This is too 

 much for our friend, who sees his rival, now the admired, moving 

 off, and the female inclined to follow. Not to be outdone, he 

 watches his opportunity, and, with a short flight, drops down 

 between the two and bars her way. Now there are two on the 

 same side of the female : but there is no vice shown, and to over- 

 come the difficulty the rival — the outside male — skips lightly 

 over the two to the other side. ' All are now in their original 

 positions, to repeat the performance ; and so it goes on. There 

 is never any crowding or jostling, and the approach of the dis- 

 playing bird is seldom within 4 or 5 inches of the female On 

 neighbouring branches the same scene could be observed with 

 other sets of three, and never was a party interfered with by a 

 fourth bird. And so the gambol goes on, with many displays of 

 wing and tail, until the more fortunate flies away with his bride, 

 leaving the disappointed one to seek another among the flock. 

 Thus was the courtship of the Whitehead, as viewed that day. 

 Others similar had been noticed previously, but this was the last 



