^°.q,^''] M'Lkan, Bush-Birds of New Zealand. 233 



sets 13, 14, and 15 are shown the music corresponding respectively 

 to the hnes a, b, and c of the song. In these morning carols 

 the first two notes of set 13 stand out frequently in rich, 

 long-drawn tone and in harmony with many others which blend 

 with the mellow ringing notes — the last of that same line. The 

 final note (set 16) of line h often swells dee]) and clear among the 

 rest, as if in chord. In their broken outburst of melody they 

 somewhat resemble the imported Australian Magpie {Gymnorhina), 

 whose notes are now to be heard from some of the clumps of trees 

 in parts of the lower country : but the latter has not the music 

 of the native bird. Sometimes towards evening the final notes 

 of line c, " Tu tu tu," may be heard in the scrub as the birds are 

 retiring. They may be repeated many times in succession, and 

 always seem to come from one bird. One note, " Kik-kik," of 

 line / is uttered in the same way, and exactly resembles the sound 

 made by a driver when urging on a horse. It was noticed that 

 these two tapping notes were in evidence before rain, while on 

 sunny mornings, especially after rain, the chorus was pretty sure 

 to be indulged in. The soft, ringing notes of line a (last of 13) were 

 occasionally heard from the trees during the daytime, and were 

 very characteristic — so much so that the bushmen always spoke 

 of the Crow as the " Bell Bird." This led to some confusion 

 when speaking of the true Bell-Bird, and it took some little time 

 to gather from some of the men that, while Glaiicopis wilsoni was 

 to be met with in some parts of the Taranaki and Bay of Plenty 

 districts, Anthorms melanura was in the former province to some 

 unknown. 



I believe these birds are very much attached to each other when 

 paired, for they always keep close company, and I have seen 

 them (20th August) now and then halting in their slow wanderings 

 to caress (bill) each other. I was much annoyed when one of a 

 pair I knew of was killed by one of the Pigeon-shooters ; and I 

 felt sorry for the remaining bird, which stayed about the locality 

 for many weeks, where I heard it calling for its murdered mate. 

 Unfortunately, it falls an easy victim to those unacquainted with 

 the bird ; but I can say this for the bushman — ^he leaves the Crow 

 alone, because it is unfit to eat. 



As previously mentioned, pairs came into the unfelled parts 

 of the 1906 sections from the adjoining main bush in September, 

 and one pair remained not far from my third camp until towards 

 the end. Many references occur in my notes to this pair, which 

 treated us on many occasiox,s to morning music, and to whom 

 I am inclined to assign the large nest, which was discovered 

 after the tree was felled, in the final face of bush put down on 

 1 2th October. The men assured me that two Crows were about 

 the spot when they started felling that day. I had seen and heard 

 the pair about this tawhera face for some time, but had not 

 suspected their nesting, and that part was seldom visited, for it 

 was a corner near the standing bush, and, although near the camp, 

 was not in the direction that took me to where the gangs were 



