394 



Transactions. 



company with a little pied paragon tliat constantly displayed to the full its 

 white tail with central black longitudinal bar, spreading its wings at the 

 same time, flitting about very daintily, and tweeting with bright-eyed in- 

 souciant exuberance. In (9) and (11) the i of the ti has the sound in 

 " tit," the e the sound in " net " ; (11) was repeated many times in succession 

 at twilight. The song (10) was very vigorous, constricted e sounds followed 

 by whistles on g much softer in tone ; their different quality caused them to 

 sound an octave above their real pitch. The triplets of (13) were repeated 

 five or six times. 



I am not sure that it is altogether friendliness that makes the fantail so 

 tame, or whether it is not rather sheer curiosity and pugnacity ; for on two 

 occasions when I spoke or called fantails sitting close by me they uttered 

 their rapid tweet tweet with mouth agape as they jerked from side to side 

 whilst facing me. The mouth is not usually agape when the note is uttered ; 

 and, moreover, it will be remembered that when the sea-birds came in their 

 great flock to attack the land-birds the fantail was the first to fly to the 

 assault on the invading host, and, being put into a " towering rage," flew 

 forward crying ti ti, ti ti, presenting his spear to left and right. 



The Grey Warbler. 



This bird had lost all shyness in 1911-12, and was repeatedly seen close 

 at hand, often two together, and generally singing. They were also plenti- 

 ful in 1912-13. Three years ago the notes of (13) were taken down and 

 queried as a warbler's ; again, in January, 1912, (14) was noted as a warbler 



03) 



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song, though the quality of the notes differed from the usual song, and the 

 same of (15) and (15a). I often followed the sound, but it was elusive as 

 Wheke, goddess of song — often heard, but never seen. One day, however, 

 whilst seated under a totara, I saw a warbler whilst actually singing the 

 doubtful theme, followed by the ordinary song. No. (16) was repeated six 

 or eight times, each set of six notes and rest occupying about a second. I 

 was able to compare the quality of the two sounds : (16) was cheery and 

 bright ; the usual song is much softer, more plaintive, and in comparison 

 slightly ventriloquous, so that the two songs appeared to sound from two 

 different places, the ordinary song being the farther removed. I now noted, 

 too, that the first note of the six was always fainter ; at a distance it would 

 be so subdued as to be inaudible, and the listener would hear odd instead of 

 even numbers, as in (13), (14), and (15a). An ordinary song was once opened 

 with (17) — a quiet little chuckling guggle of notes, much softer than the song 

 itself, and repeated in two or more sets of three notes. I saw two warblers 

 guggling and singing within 6 ft. of where I stood. One discovered an un- 



