178 M'Lean, Bush-Birds of New Zealand. [xsf'jan. 



I saw. The little flocks were breaking up and pairing off to select 

 their summer homes and rear their young. 



In October the birds became scattered in pairs about the lighter 

 bush ; but, as this country was now almost all felled, they retired 

 with other species to nest in the standing timber. This I had 

 little time to explore, and it was difficult to reach across the 

 felling. However, in one of the last-felled patches of scrub a 

 pair managed to complete their nest, but the tree went down 

 before any eggs were laid. The nest, when first found, was almost 

 completed, and my attention was drawn to it by the male, who 

 was much agitated and scolded me from the branches near in 

 great style ; but the female was not quite so demonstrative. On 

 looking about, I discovered the nest about 7 feet up, held in 

 position against the trunk by a couple of those upright branchlets 

 so characteristic of the small honeysuckle-tree {Knightia excelsa), 

 in which it was placed. The birds were too concerned in my 

 presence to do any work ; but next day (28th September), when 

 I examined the nest, I found it ready for the eggs. It was never 

 measured, but was slightly smaller than that of the Robin, and 

 much more neatly made, being composed of fine rootlets and 

 moss closely packed together, with the top and sides well smoothed 

 off, especially about the top and rim, while the deep cavity was 

 beautifully lined with small feathers of different birds. The male 

 sang near while the nest was being constructed, for I had noticed 

 him on different days before I found it, trilling near by in the 

 taller honeysuckles, which just topped the surrounding dense 

 scrub of nei-nei and tawhera. It was my impression that the 

 whole summer song of this bird was contained in the half-dozen 

 notes of the trill, until on one occasion I listened to this male within 

 a few feet of him, and was much surprised to find that quite a 

 number of other notes helped, with the trill, to make the White- 

 head's song. He was somewhat restless, and fidgeted about and 

 flew close past me once or twice as though suspicious of my in- 

 tentions. Then, on top of a dead twig, he sang the trill several 

 times very clearly : but between each he whistled and piped so 

 low and soft that he was only just audible, even at the short 

 distance. Thus, at times, he seemed to almost lose his voice : 

 but these husky notes — " Kee kee kee, tweet tweet tweet, te-te- 

 te-te twee" — always ended with the clear musical trill. Odd 

 pairs were sometimes seen on the burnt country in spring, and it 

 is just possible they may nest in the second-growth when near 

 the main bush 



Since the above was written, I have come across the Whitehead 

 in several other widely-separated parts of the district, but never 

 have I seen so much of it as I did in the Maunga-Haumia country. 



Anthornis melanura — Bell-Bird. 



Buller, "Birds of New Zealand" (2nd edition), vol. i., p. 85. 



The Bell-Bird was not uncommon each year. Possibly in the 

 heavy bush of the northern side it was a little more numerous 



