27- 



yielded to a cliange of food, and at length would eat cooked potato and raw 

 meat minced up in small piecas. They were kept supplied with a dish of fresh 

 water, but seldom washed themselves although often repairing to the vessel to 

 drink. Their ordinary call was a soft and clear whistle, at first prolonged, 

 then short and quickly repeated, both bii'ds joining in it. When excited or 

 hungry they raised their whistling note to a high pitch ; at other times it was 

 softly modulated, with variations, or changed into a low chiickling note. 

 Sometimes their cry resembled the whining of young puppies so exactly as 

 almost to defy detection. 



Dr. DiefFenbach, in forwarding Lis specimens of the Huia to Mr. Gould, 

 in 1836, wrote, — "These fine birds can only be obtained , with the help of a 

 native, who calls them with a shrill and long continued whistle resembling the 

 sound of the native name of the species. After an extensive journey in the 

 hilly forest in search of them, I had at last the pleasure of seeing four alight 

 on the lower branches of the trees near which the native accompanying me 

 stood. They came quick as lightning, descending from branch to branch, 

 spreading out the tail and thi'OAving iip the wings." I have had only a single 

 oiDportunity of observing this species in its native haunts, and I was struck 

 by the same peculiarities in its manners and general demeanour. In the 

 summer of 1867, accompanied by a friend and two natives, I made an expe- 

 dition into the Ruahine Ranges in search of novelties. After a tramp on foot 

 of nearly twenty miles, through a densely wooded country, we were rewarded 

 by finding the Hiiia. We were climbing the side of a steep acclivity, and 

 had halted to dig specimens of the curious vegetating cacei^jDillar [Sphceria 

 Rohertsii), which was abundant there. While thus engaged, we heard the 

 soft flute note of the Huia in the wooded gully far beneath us. One of our 

 native companions at once imitated the call, and in a few seconds a pair of 

 beautiful Huias, male and female, appeared in the branches near us. They 

 remained gazing at us only a few instants, and then started off up the side of 

 the hill, moving by a succession of hops, often along the ground, the male 

 generally leading. Waiting till he could get both birds in a line, my friend 

 at length pulled triggei', but the cap snapped and the Huias instantly disap- 

 peared down the wooded ravine. Then followed a chevy of some tLree miles, 

 down the mountain side and up its rugged ravines. Once more, owing to the 

 dampness of the weather, the cap snapped and the birds were finally lost sight 

 of. I observed that their mode of progression was similar to that of the 

 kokako, but far more rapid. While in motion they kept near each other 

 and uttered constantly a soft twitter. The tail was often partially spread, 

 while the bright orange lappets were iisually compressed under the rami of the 

 lower jaw. 



We camped that night near the bed of a mountain rivulet, in a deep 

 wooded ravine, and soon after dawn we again heard the rich notes of a Huia. 



