Andkrsen.— xYew Zealand Bird-song. 



66a 



This (4) was a slurred cry, vibrato, and sounded like (jrreh (German r), 

 followed by Icou kou ; (5) differed in the first cry. No. (6), following, was 

 many times repeated, at intervals of about five seconds, the full cry of 

 four notes being uttered in one second. There was a trace of vibrato, 

 almost making the cry krou krou instead of kou kou. No. (7) varies the 

 opening of (1) in pitch: — 



0^ 



-H- 



/(ou kou Aou kou 



m 



ffT^a. 



^' ^^J^J^J^i 



Wekas were plentiful, their call varying considerably in pitch and in- 

 terval. I noted the following differences in December, 1909 : — 



S»^ <yva,.. ;...... gra 



The followdng, somided when the bird appeared to be running ofi, may be a 

 danger-cry : — 



gyrx. 



f\<^,A^ \*^ 





eCo 



I this year heard the '" drumming " sound emitted by the weka. It 

 has been described as the soimd made by knocking the head of an empty 

 cask ; it may also be described as the pizzicato of a double-bass vioHn. 

 Sometimes, however, the note was sustained : on one occasion each note 

 lasted for two seconds or more. 



On the 2nd January I was particularly struck by the resemblance of 

 some of the thrush's opening notes to the ordinary call of the weka. I 

 had noticed this apparent imitation in the bays before, but not, so far as I 

 can remember, about Christchurch. On several occasions I thought a weka 

 called, but the call continued into a song, and I recognized my friend the 

 thrush. I noted the following openings (all three were followed by full 

 songs) : — 



»^'^ ■■■■■^ r :'-^-- 



m 



^-VKt '. (5^«.-'- .^.- ..,...-. - 



It will be noted that in one instance (c) the interval and pitch are exactly 

 the same as the weka-call (5) above. 



