Bush-birds of New Zealand. 535 
around, where the birds were busy among the yellow Kowhai 
blossoms and native Fuchsia flowers. 
This variation of the notes in different localities is very 
puzzling. The bushmen say the Tui changes its notes 
every three months! but in this case, two localities, in close 
touch, each had its own dominant note on the same date. 
The galloping ‘ tu-la tu-la” of the bush was first heard 
towards the end of September, and within a few days had 
so “caught on” that every Tui was using it—early and 
late, and it was still “all the rage” on October 14th. But 
ten miles off, in the open country, I found next day that a 
totally different note—a measured ringing “ fol, tol, tol” — 
was the fashion, and although I must have heard scores of 
the birds in continuous song, I never heard among them 
the familiar double-noted music of the bush. In one 
locality they were feeding chiefly on the birch and in the 
other on the Kowhai. Is it possible that food may influence 
the song? This supposition may be worth investigation in 
other parts of the colony *. 
Unfortunately the Tui, when fat, is considered by the 
Maories a great delicacy and, although a protected species, 
is shot by them in large numbers. 
15. ZosTeROPS CHRULESCENS (Lath.). 
Zosterops cerulescens Grant, Ibis, 1905, p. 591. 
The Blight-bird was not at any time very common, and 
its movements were most erratic. In the open country, 
twenty miles to the southward, it was observed in numbers 
moving about in small flocks during March and April, but 
it was not seen in the Maungahaumia bush until May, 
when an odd bird was noted. In the beginning of June 
it appeared here in small flocks, often moving with the 
* Since the above was written, over the greater part of the more open 
country of this large district I have heard the Tui in numbers, and with 
one exception the dominant note has been “ ¢ol, tol, tol.” The exception 
came from a single bird—one of a pair—many miles from Maunga- 
haumia, where its “ tw-la tu-la” was heard in the same little strip of 
light bush on each of the occasions when I passed its home during the 
past four months, 
2N2 
