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uttering its low smothered cries of distress and pain ; liow the wretched bird 

 endeavours to save its fall from, the leafy shelter by clinging to bough and 

 spray with desperate tenacity, often seizing its wounded limb with its powerful 

 beak, as if to tear away the burning agony from whicli it suffers. Truly 

 gregarious, it is social even in disti-ess ; numbers gather round their wou.nded 

 comjianion to fall easy victims to the gunner. Often in the bright sunshine, 

 scores may be observed, with loud screams and chatter, flying and circling 

 about, and, high above the outskirts of the bush, apparently bent on 

 enjoying some short excursion ; now and then an individual more hilarious 

 than his fellows, after a somewhat slow and laboured ascent, will suddenly 

 dart downwards, perpendicularly, with almost closed wings ; this feat is 

 doubtless performed to an appreciative and admiring circle, if one may judge 

 from the clamour of the comjDany. 



The Kaka we think to be less gregarious when travelling than at almost any 

 other time ; Avhen migrating from one part of the country to another, it 

 proceeds on its journey at a considerable height, uttering at intervals a brief 

 note that sounds something like " t-chriifc, t-chriit," then, perhaps, a whistling 

 call of " tweetie, tweetie." Kakas do not travel in large flocks, most frequently 

 but two or three are to be seen in company, sometimes six or eight are seen 

 together, solitary wanderers are not u^n frequently observed ; when their cry is 

 imitated it is often replied to. Their steady, slow, and somewhat laboured 

 flight when joui'neying is not to be mistaken for that of any other native bird 

 that we have observed on the wing ; there is a methodical painstaking style 

 that afi"ords quite a contrast to their gay, rattling, ofi-hand soaring and gliding 

 about the bush ; it exhibits the proper difference of behaviour to be assumed 

 under business-like and pleasure-taking aspects. Man is not the only biped 

 enjoying the privilege of duality. In dull, moist weather, when the strange- 

 voiced tui is silent, the Kaka is perhaps more noisy than usual ; its call is 

 heard at the earliest dawn, even in the night it is not always silent. 



When matched, the pair may be observed constantly together ; if one 

 moves from a tree its attentive partner quickly follows. The nesting place has 

 to be prepared ; for this purpose a tree is usually selected the heart of which is 

 completely decayed ; it must have a convenient hole leading from the outside to 

 the bottom of the hollow ; the interior requires some prepai^ation perhaps, or 

 the entrance has to be smoothed or enlarged ; the pair may be frequently 

 observed busy for the comfort and safety of their pi'ospective offspring, some- 

 times a certain degree of fastidiousness is disclosed in making these 

 preparations. After a home is made ready, it often happens that in place of 

 being occupied it is deserted for some more eligible locality. It lays its four 

 white eggs on the decayed wood, without any fi;rther sujoply of softer material 

 by way of nest. As an instance of devoted attachment to its youiig, it may be 

 mentioned that we have found the old bird dead at the entrance of its nestinsf 



