The Zoologist — March, 1874. 3905 



inch three and a half lines, with a diameter of eleven and a half 

 lines. 



December 26th, River Waio. In a nest about twelve feet from 

 the ground, in a bush of Coriaria, the eggs (two in number) were of 

 elongated form, and measured in length one inch seven lines by 

 nearly one inch in width. 



December 27th, River Waio, A nest in a small-leaved 

 Coprosma (probably rhamnoides) ; female incubating a single 

 egg; she remained on the nest till pushed off. The male bird 

 was summoned by a jarring call, and both birds joined in a bold 

 defence. 



Near Lake Mapourika, in a very swampy situation, we found a 

 nest with the walls very thickly built of moss and manuka sprays 

 interwoven ; it was placed about fifteen feet above the ground in a 

 tall manuka. Dimensions of the nest across the top from outside 

 to outside of wall about seven inches ; diameter of cavity about 

 three inches with a depth of two inches. We find this a fair 

 average, after looking at scores of nests. The young when they 

 emerge from the shell have a covering of dark down. We think 

 the eye of the pio-pio gleams with much intelligence ; perhaps this 

 notion is conveyed by its narrow but bright pale yellow iris ; the 

 tongue is pointed, and furnished on the inferior side with a strong 

 muscular process of almost horn-like consistence. Both skin and 

 flesh are dark, but the flavour of the bird is not at all bad ; it makes 

 a savoury broil for those who bring the proper sauce — hunger; 

 when not so provided, they do wanton mischief who kill a bird so 

 harmless and interesting. They are very sociable, and a bush-hand 

 living the life of a hermit, in his little whare of tree-fern stems up 

 the Waio river-bed, fed some thrushes until he had enticed them 

 to enter his hut. Once up the Havelock, in one of the outskirts of 

 a mixed bush of Phyllocladus, Fagus and Podocarpus, several 

 thrushes were observed flying from the top of a tree after insects, 

 flycatcher fashion, in the glow of a hot afternoon. The writer 

 inclines to the belief that the imitation of the redbill's note, above 

 alluded to, is a good instance of the protective mimicry of sound. 

 The pio-pio gets ample food, in the summer days at least, from the 

 glades in the river-beds. Over these, high above, dash the falcons 

 from amongst the rocky heights of the mountain chain ; the hawk 

 notes the movement of a bird below, but hearing the simulated cry 

 of the redbill, withholds his dashing swoop, knowing that the wary 



