THE CHATHAM ISLAND BELL-BIRD 



119 



South Canterbury, aud on each visit he has found that the 

 species is increasing. When he stayed at Windwood, Mount 

 Somers, he found both adult and young inhabiting the warm 

 wooded valle.ys of the Gawler Downs in good numbers. At 

 Albury, bell-birds were seen in considerable numbers. Twice he 

 was on the top of Rocky Peninsula at daybreak, listening to the 

 waking melody of the birds echoing across the gorge from the 

 opposite bush. On both occasions the morning was serene and 

 beautiful, and the mingling of the songs of numerous birds with 

 the soft murmur of the river far below presented to him one of 

 those enchanting scenes in bird life daily realised by ornitholo- 

 gists out in the open in New Zealand. 



Nest of Chatham Island Bell-bird. 



The Chatham Island Bell-bird. 



AntJiorids inelanocephala. 

 Like the last species but larger. In the male the head is steel black, 

 and the neck, breast, and upper tail coverts are tinged with black. 

 Egg — Pink, sparingly spotted and blotched at the larger end with 

 chestnut; length, 1 in. Length of the wing, 4.25in.; of the tarsus, 

 1.5 in. Chatham Islands. 



The Chatham Islands have a bell-bird of their own. Its note 

 is said to be much richer and fuller than that of the New 

 Zealand species. It begins to breed in October. The nest is 



