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together, producing a perfect din with their loud chirping notes. It is a curious or inquisitive 

 bird, following the intruder as he passes through the bush, and watching all his movements in a 

 very intelligent manner. If he remains stationary for a few moments, it will peer at him through 

 the leaves with evident curiosity, and will hop gradually downwards from twig 'to twig, stretching 

 out its neck and calling to its fellows in a loud chirp, and approaching the object of this 

 scrutiny till almost within reach of his hand. 



It has a simple but very melodious song, some bars of it reminding one of the musical strains 

 of the Canary, Captain Hutton writes me that he found this species far more abundant on the 

 Great Barrier Island than on the neighbouring mainland, where it is certainly less plentiful 

 than in former years ; and he remarks that " the song is very similar to that of the European . 



Yellow Bunting, but without the last drawn-out note, while the alarm is like the ;pink pink of the 

 Chaffinch." 



Its food consists of insects and minute seeds. It is very active in all its movements, flitting 



about among the leafy branches and climbing the boles of the trees, clinging by the feet head 



downwards, and assuming every variety of attitude as it prosecutes its diligent search for the 



small insects on which it principally subsists. I have frequently observed it inserting its beak 



into the flower of the Metrosideros^ either for the purpose of extracting honey, or, as is more 



likely, to prey on the insects that are attracted by it. I have also known them occasionally caught 



on the tuU baited with these flowers to allure the Tui and Korimako, which are genuine honey- 

 eaters. 



I have found scores of nests of this species, and have made frequent but inefiectual attempts 

 to rear the young in a cage. The nest is usually fixed in the fork of a low shrubby tree, fre- 

 quently that of the ramarama {Myrtus hullata\ and is always so placed as to be well concealed 

 from observation. It is a round, compact, and well-constructed nest, being composed of soft 

 materials, such as moss, dry leaves, spiders' nests, shreds of native flax, and sometimes wool, all 

 firmly knit together. The cavity is deep and well rounded, the walls being formed of dry bent 

 and vegetable fibres and thickly lined with soft feathers. The lip or outer edge of the nest is 

 carefully bound in with vegetable fibres, sometimes mixed with spiders' webs, and often presenting 

 a high degree of finish. The eggs are usually three in number, but sometimes four; they are 

 of proportionate size, rather ovido-conical in form, and with a shell of very delicate texture. Ex- 

 ternally they are white, minutely spotted with purplish and brown, the markings being denser 

 towards the thick end, where they form an irregular zone. During incubation the hen bird sits 



closely, and leaves the nest with reluctance, almost permitting herself to be touched by the hand 

 before quitting it. 



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