BuLLER.—On the Ornithology of New Zealand. i 829 
was something which growled at them whenever they passed the hole or 
looked into it. On the matter being mentioned a second or third time the 
hole was examined, and proved to be a Kotare’s nest, containing four young 
ones about half-fledged. The old birds, of course, manifested a strong 
objection to the nest being touched, flying round, screaming, and darting at 
us whenever we went close to it. I desired the children not to meddle with 
the young birds, but told them that if they sat a little way off and watched 
they would see the old ones catch fish, lizards, and insects, and bring them 
to the nest for the young ones to eat. The children were very pleased to do 
this, but quickly discovered that very few fish, and apparently very little 
animal food of any kind was brought to the nest, and that the young brood 
were being reared on the cherries out of our garden. I at first thought the 
children were mistaken, but as they assured me they saw the birds fly to the 
trees, and bring back the cherries in their bills, I examined the nest, and 
from the quantity of cherry stones that it contained saw that the youngsters' 
eyes had not deceived them. It was evident, in fact, that up to the time 
they left the nest, fruit formed the chief food of the young birds. It has 
occurred to me that possibly the Kingfisher, from its habits, consumes a 
large quantity of fluid with its food, and that the juice of the fruit supplies 
moisture necessary to the proper growth of the young birds. At all events 
it is clear that young fruit forms an important article in their diet, 
though I never saw them eating it, or heard of their doing so at a later 
stage of their existence.” 
** PosrscnrPr, June 25.—I accidentally got corroborative information as 
to the frugivorous habits of the Kotare lately. I met Mr. Enderby, who 
mentioned that he had been greatly annoyed by these birds this autumn. 
He said that scarcely a peach in the garden escaped having one or more 
large pieces pecked out of them, and that the birds did not meddle with 
the ripe fruit, but attacked it when it was just ripening, and beforeit became 
soft. This seems to indicate that, as in my case, the fruit was wanted not 
for the consumption of the old birds themselves, but as food for their young, 
and that it was taken therefore before it was too soft to be carried in the 
bill, or not required after the fruit was ripe, because the young birds were 
then fledged. Mr. Enderby was quite positive that it was the Kotares and 
not sparrows who were the depredators, as he saw them taking the fruit, 
and said he at first had a great mind to shoot them, till he noticed that they 
evidently carried it away to their nests.” 
Anthornis melanura, 
I may mention, in proof of my former assertion that the Korimako, once 
the commonest bird of the country, is fast becoming extinct, that since my 
return from England two years ago I have positively not seen one, although 
gl 
