92 



claws brown. Total length 7*75 inches; wing, from flexure, 3*4; tail, to the extremity of lateral fea- 

 thers, 3*6; bill, along the ridge -6, along the edge of lower mandible "75; tarsus 1; middle toe and 

 claw -6; hind toe and claw -75, 



Adult female. 



distinguished 



by a narrow streak of white, which extends downwards from the angles of the mouth, fading off in a 

 line with the ear-coverts. Upper parts dull olivaceous; throat, breast, and underparts generally yel- 

 lowish brown, strongly tinged with olive; quills and tail-feathers dusky black, margined on their outer 

 webs with olivaceous ; lining of wings, vent, and under tail-coverts fulvous white, washed with yellow. 



+ 



Young male. Plumage lighter than in the adult bird, with a narrow indistinct line of yellowish white from 



the angles of the mouth. 



Obs. 



tficeps 



contended for^, nothing but a flower-stained example of the present species. In acknowledgment of 

 this I have received the following note from my friend Dr. Finsch, of Bremen : — '' You are quite right 

 in respect to A, ruficeps. The red colour on the face is caused by external influences ; for my friend Von 



Pelzeln has washed the type in the Vienna Museum, and the red tinge has partially disappeared.^' But, 

 even as far back as 1782, Latham mentions {L c) the existence of a red stain in some specimens, and 

 ascribes it to the true cause, adding, " this in time rubs oQ, and the colour of the head appears the 

 same as the rest of the plumage.^' 



The praises of the Bell-bird were sung, a hundred years ago, by the illustrious navigator Cook, 

 whose 'Voyages' contain the following record:—" The ship lay at the distance of somewhat less 

 than a quarter of a mile from the shore f; and in the morning we were awakened by the singing 

 of the birds : the number was incredible, and they seemed to strain their throats in emulation of 

 each other. This wild melody was infinitely superior to any that we had ever heard of the same 

 kind ; it seemed to be like small bells most exquisitely tuned, and perhaps the distance and the 

 water between might be no small advantage to the sound." 



This species, formerly very plentiful in every part of the country, appears to be rapidly dying 

 From some districts, where a few years ago it was the commonest bird, it has now entirely 



out. 



vanished. 



Waikato 



and from the woods north of Auckland it has disappeared altogether. In my journeys through 

 the Kaipara district, eighteen years ago, I found this bird excessively abundant everywhere ; and 



Wair 



)a the bush fairly swarmed with them. Dr. Hector, who passed over 

 the same ground in 1866, assures me that he scarcely ever met with it; and a valued corre- 



Whang; 



"In 1859 this 



bird was very abundant here, in 1860 it was less numerous, in 1862 it was extremely rare, and 

 from 1863 to 1866 I never saw but one individual. It now seems to be entirely extinct in this 



t 



* Trans. New-Zealand Inst. 1868, vol. i. p. 108. 

 + 



t Queen Charlotte's Sound. 



Mr. Gilbert Mair informs me that on the smaU island of Motiti, in the Bay of Plenty, the Bell-bird is very numerous, 

 although it is never seen or heard on the mainland opposite. Captain Hutton reports it plentiful on the Great and Little 

 Barrier Islands, in the Gulf of Hauraki. 



\ 





The 



^ ft 



the rs^' ^^ I 



often too sub _ 

 ultimate results 

 cause, apart froi 

 of the indigenoTi 

 grove have becon 



distant date. 

 Various r'^'^ 



imported bee, wl 

 other honey-cati 

 speaking to me c 

 lads would come 

 one scarcely ever 

 now they are w:' 

 that he agreed v 

 the honey-eating 

 to the scarcity o1 

 hered that both 

 failure of their 

 these bu-ds ; wk 

 do not sip flowe 

 quite insufficienl 

 result of long oV 

 a gradual chang. 

 tion of certain 



ever)' p 

 °^'- ^oods, and 



through 



/^%- Spec 

 ^^"^^ thief, are 



^ ^ a letter ,( 



"''"i states :_,.T,-., 



3oine *- 





Uh* 



mquiry 





