jo My New Zealand Garden 



it is commonly called the ' Morepork,' owing to 

 its distinct pronunciation of those two words. 

 He allows one to go within a few yards of him, 

 and perhaps he lets the cats do the same, as I 

 sometimes find dead ' Moreporks ' which seem to 

 have died a violent death. 



The tamest little bird we have is the Fantailed 

 Fly-Catcher. A few come into the garden, but 

 they do not show the trustfulness here which they 

 do in the Bush, for there they hover round your 

 dress as if they wished to settle upon it, now and 

 again allowing themselves to do so for an instant. 

 They use their beautiful little spread-out tails and 

 wings in a most fascinating manner. Most of 

 them are quite black, with here and there a gray 

 one. Another tiny bird is the Bush Wren ; this, 

 on the contrary, has hardly any tail at all, which 

 rather disfigures him, but he is so tiny and sweet 

 that it quite makes up for his taillessness. 



The Tui, or ' Parson Bird,' as he is irreverently- 

 called, because he has a tuft of white feathers 

 on his throat which are supposed to resemble a 

 clergyman's bands, is shining black and metallic 

 blue. There is no mistaking his loud and curious 

 song above all other songs in the Bush. Some 

 have compared it to a laugh, a cough, and a 

 sneeze all at once. I never heard anybody 

 afflicted with that combination, but it would 

 probably be devoid of anything melodious, tune- 



