﻿510 
  Mr. 
  W. 
  W. 
  Smith 
  on 
  New-Zealand 
  Birds. 
  

  

  Myiomoira 
  macrocephala. 
  Gray. 
  

  

  In 
  tlie 
  month 
  of 
  January^ 
  when 
  the 
  family 
  cares 
  are 
  over 
  

   for 
  the 
  season, 
  many 
  adults 
  and 
  young 
  leave 
  their 
  inland 
  hush 
  

   haunts 
  and 
  disperse 
  over 
  the 
  plains, 
  visiting 
  the 
  gardens 
  and 
  the 
  

   plantations 
  of 
  the 
  settlers. 
  They 
  remain 
  about 
  farm 
  home- 
  

   steads 
  and 
  are 
  common 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  towns 
  till 
  the 
  month 
  

   of 
  August^ 
  when 
  they 
  again 
  return 
  to 
  the 
  bush 
  to 
  pair 
  and 
  

   breed. 
  The 
  migratory 
  habit 
  is 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  more 
  

   food 
  in 
  the 
  settled 
  districts 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  the 
  bush. 
  

   The 
  ploughing 
  of 
  paddocks 
  and 
  digging 
  of 
  gardens 
  and 
  

   orchards 
  offer 
  an 
  abundance 
  of 
  food 
  for 
  them 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  

   of 
  earthworms 
  and 
  beetle 
  larvae 
  — 
  the 
  latter 
  (^Odontria 
  sp.) 
  

   seriously 
  affect 
  paddocks 
  ; 
  and 
  while 
  ploughing 
  is 
  proceeding 
  

   the 
  birds 
  venture 
  far 
  into 
  the 
  open. 
  

  

  Gerygone 
  flaviventris. 
  Gray. 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  another 
  visitant 
  to 
  the 
  smaller 
  plantations 
  and 
  

   hedgerows 
  in 
  settled 
  districts 
  in 
  winter. 
  The 
  Grey 
  Warbler 
  

   is 
  oftener 
  heard 
  trilling 
  its 
  pleasant 
  song 
  in 
  the 
  hedgerows 
  

   than 
  the 
  bird 
  is 
  seen. 
  Its 
  active 
  flitting 
  motions 
  are 
  well 
  

   adapted 
  to 
  threading 
  its 
  way 
  through 
  the 
  thick 
  hedgerows 
  or 
  

   the 
  dense 
  undergrowth 
  of 
  the 
  bush. 
  It 
  frequents 
  clumps 
  of 
  

   close-growing 
  young 
  manuka 
  trees 
  and 
  flax-flats, 
  where 
  it 
  

   obtains 
  abundance 
  of 
  food. 
  On 
  the 
  14tli 
  of 
  November 
  last 
  I 
  

   heard 
  an 
  adult 
  singing 
  in 
  the 
  willow-trees 
  growing 
  on 
  the 
  

   river-bank. 
  I 
  have 
  no 
  record 
  of 
  the 
  Riroriro 
  nesting 
  anywhere 
  

   on 
  the 
  plains, 
  and 
  its 
  presence 
  in 
  the 
  willows 
  in 
  November, 
  

   thirty 
  miles 
  from 
  the 
  nearest 
  native 
  bush, 
  is 
  remarkable. 
  

   There 
  are 
  several 
  large 
  clumps 
  of 
  manuka 
  trees 
  still 
  existing 
  

   on 
  the 
  plains, 
  and 
  as 
  the 
  young 
  saplings 
  are 
  a 
  favourite 
  site 
  

   for 
  the 
  Riroriro's 
  nest, 
  they 
  may 
  occasionally 
  breed 
  in 
  them. 
  

   Several 
  of 
  its 
  foster 
  children, 
  the 
  Long-tailed 
  Cuckoo 
  [Eudy- 
  

   namis 
  taitensis), 
  were 
  shot 
  here 
  in 
  February, 
  but 
  they 
  were 
  

   all 
  adults. 
  Possibly 
  we 
  may 
  yet 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  record 
  the 
  nest- 
  

   ing 
  of 
  the 
  Riroriro 
  on 
  the 
  plains. 
  

  

  Rhipidura 
  flabellifera. 
  Gray. 
  

  

  Rhipidura 
  fuliginosa, 
  Sparrm. 
  

  

  Both 
  these 
  Flycatchers 
  visit 
  and 
  remain 
  in 
  settled 
  districts 
  

  

  