FAMILY TURNAGRIDAE 



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bereavement that he let it go. In the south the pairing season 

 begins in October, when the male makes extraordinary evolutions 

 before the female. lie bows his head, spreads his wings, and 

 erects and spreads his tail, making at the same time a gurgling 

 noise. In the early days of colonisation, men traversed rough 

 woods in order to find the nests of the South Island crows. 

 They are built in the scrub, not far from the ground, and are 

 co2nposed of twigs and moss. In the beginning of December the 



Nest of South Island Crow. 



female lays from one to three eggs. The young birds, which are 

 fully grown in May, remain with their parents until the pairing 

 season : they thrive well in confinement, feeding freely on bread 

 and milk, and green stuff, with a few grubs. The nests are 

 easily reached by rats and cats, and, in some localities, where 

 these animals are numerous, the parent birds rarely succeed in 

 rearing a brood. They feed mostly on fruit, berries, and young 

 leaves. The South Island crow is described as a specially 

 beautiful bird in its native haunts. It is so tame that its habits 

 may be studied closely. 



Family Turnagridoe. 

 Bill stout, the upper mandible notched near the tip. Wings 

 short, the first primary more than half the length of the second. 

 Nostrils partly covered with feathers. Tarsi scutellate. Mouth- 

 bristles distinct. New Zealand only. This family, which was 



