4140 The Zoologist — September, 1874. 



farmer's dogs act as police to restrain or deter from pilfering this 

 Arab of the bush. The pulieko, or purple gallinule {Porphyrio), 

 and the paradise duck, or New Zealand sheldrake (Casarca), are 

 not esteemed as friends by the farmer, who begrudges them the 

 tender grass or growing grain which attracts them to his land. 

 The gulls {Laridce), which follow the labours of the ploughman 

 with beneficent industry, have lately discovered a fresh and 

 abundant food supply : since the establishment of meat-preserving 

 and boiling-down factories in certain spots, these birds may be 

 observed collected together in thousands, feeding on the refuse 

 which has been carted away from these great butcheries. The 

 common tern {S. antarctica) constantly follows the newly-turned 

 furrow, and greatly benefits the agriculturist by its persevering 

 search for larvae and other insect food. 



It may be gathered from these remarks how many species of 

 native birds seem to be natural allies of man in checking the undue 

 increase of that which is hurtful to his interests, and which in such 

 a climate might become a plague but for their interference and 

 assistance. 



Acclimatisation, which is effecting daily changes in our bird 

 system when successful, constantly records the history of its pro- 

 gress with the music of fresh notes and calls resounding from 

 shrubberies and plantations. The sounds of our native vocalists 

 are not less worthy of atJ,ention. With diffidence I propose to offer 

 some observations on the vocal characteristics of our birds, and note 

 their love songs, alarms, notes of warning or defiance, together with 

 some of the various and peculiar cries to which gregarious birds 

 give utterance. 



To those familiar with the wilds of nature, much of the real 

 history of bird-life is disclosed by their notes; for instance, if the 

 voice of the halcyon were heard from the first day of August to the 

 month of January (the breeding season), it would not be necessary 

 to see the bird in order to form a tolerably correct idea of the nature 

 of its employment. 



Bird-sounds, as received by the ear, it is impossible to reduce to 

 writing, nor do I believe it will be achieved till science shall have 

 instructed us by some method to render in intelligible language the 

 many fleeting forms and figures which the Babel tongues of sound 

 impress on the wavelets of the surrounding air. Formidable dis- 

 covery ! then we shall hold as a priceless truth that, if speech is 



