Wilson. — Disappearaiice of the Small Birds of Xew Zealand. 241 



tlie first yictims, and their disappearance dates some fifteeii years back, 

 since whicli time it has been a rare sight indeed to see one ; this loss is 

 much to be regretted, as the bell-bird was by far the best songster of the 

 New Zealand forests. 



The robin was a small brown bird of peculiarly gentle aspect and 

 tame disposition, resembling in fact his English namesake in everything 

 except colour. The disappearance of these bu-ds began nearly about the 

 same time as the bell-bu'd, and now the rising generation will scarcely 

 ever have seen a single individual of the species. 



It is somewhat singular, however, that while these and other birds have 

 become extinct in this part of the island, some of the smaller kinds have 

 suffered apparently but very little diminution ; and with a reference to 

 these we will conclude the chapter. 



Most notable amongst the survivors are the fan-tail or fly-catcher, and 

 the riroriro. No other bird forces itself so much on the attention of 

 the dweller in the bush as the fan-tail. They haunt about a camp and 

 find an easy subsistence on the flies which there congregate, darting 

 about with outspread tail in pursuit of their i^rey, and giving vent to their 

 feelings in a sharp, petulant note. 



On resuming the occupation of an old whare at times, some of these 

 little creatures will pay an early visit to those whom they evidently look 

 upon as old friends and benefactors, and on such occasions they will plainly 

 testify their satisfaction at a renewal of the intimacy. 



The riroriro, which corresponds to the old country wren, is a small 

 grey bird of unj)i"etending appearance, but, Hke many unassuming indivi- 

 duals of our own species, they belie their looks, possessing a more than 

 usual share of sagacity and instinct. Then- nest is shaped like a pear, with 

 a door in the side sheltered by a small veranda-like projection, and the 

 natives aver that this nest is built so that the door is always turned in the 

 du-ection opposite to the prevailing wind of that year. Finduig a nest then 

 in the spring, with the hole faced to the north, a season of southerly winds 

 and consequent fine weather may be predicted, and vice versa. 



It is said that the severity of a winter in North America may be 

 predicted by the quantity of nuts found in the hoard of a squirrel, and 

 similar instances of prophetic sagacity might be multiplied ; in fact, instinct 

 taken by itself is utterly beyond our com^Drehension, and cannot be 

 accounted for by any effort of human reason. There is no doubt, however, 

 that the bird is weather-wise beyond the common, and a well-known Maori 

 song alludes to it thus : — " The ru'oriro sings, it is a sign of the approaching 

 summer." This peculiarity I can vouch for myself; on many occasions my 

 attention was drawn by the continued singing of these birds, and it was 



El 



