CHAP. II.J TORY CHANNEL. 59 



paroquet, and the second one of the parrot tribe 

 existing in New Zealand. It is a very beautiful 

 bird, and measures eleven inches. The crown is 

 crimson, with a few feathers of a golden yellow 

 at the root of the beak ; the rest of the plumage is 

 green, and the quill-feathers of an azure blue. The 

 tail is long and arrow-shaped. This paroquet feeds 

 on potatoes, and on the berries of the Solanum laci- 

 niatum and other fleshy fruits ; it lives in flocks, 

 and on the ground, or the lower branches of dead 

 trees. In some parts of New Zealand it is very 

 common, but generally follows man, as it is only in 

 cultivated places that it can find the shrubs which 

 yield its favourite food. 



On both sides of the tongue of land to which I 

 have alluded, the Sound forms deep bays, perfectly 

 sheltered, and very fitted for the anchorage of ships. 

 Opposite to it, on the mainland, is another large 

 bay, called Oyster Bay, from the thick beds of rock- 

 oysters which are found there. 



After leaving the village we crossed to another 

 bay, E-Taua. This bay also is spacious and pleasant. 

 Kingfishers, oystercatchers, tuis, 1 and cormorants, 2 

 enlivened the trees on its shores, and many birds 

 were singing in the forest. 



From this bay we crossed the hills in order to 

 reach Port Underwood. They form a deep saddle, 

 over which the path leads. Everywhere on the 



1 Anthochcera concinuata, Vig. and Horsfield. 

 * Pelecanus pica, Forst. 



