— * '* i **i?i 



143 



Sir Joseph Banks says in his 'Journal' (p. 212): "Ship's Cove, Endeavour Inlet, 

 January 17th, 1770 : I was awakened by the singing of the birds ashore, from whence we 

 are distant not a quarter of a mile. Their numbers were certainly very great. They seemed 

 to strain their throats with emulation, and made, perhaps, the most melodious wild music 

 I have ever heard, almost imitating small bells, but with the most tunable silver sound 

 imaginable, to which, maybe, the distance was no small addition. On enquiring of our 

 people, I was told that they had observed them ever since we had been here, and that they 

 begin to sing about one or two in the morning and continue till sunrise, after which they 

 are silent all day, like our nightingales." 



(Korimakos must have changed their habits, for they have never sung at one or two 

 in the morning in my time !) 



Mr. A. H. Turnbull, of Wellington, writing to me on January 9th, 1902, says : " I spent 

 a week at Christmas in Queen Charlotte Sound, cruising about that beautiful arm of the 

 sea in my yacht Iorangi. I was on the tracks of Captain Cook, and enjoyed myself thoroughly. 

 Amongst other things, I was anxious to verify Professor Morris's statement that no Bell-birds 

 now existed at Ship's Cove. Alas ! he was quite correct ! We rose at just before dawn- 

 not a note to be heard of that music which so charmed Cook and his companions! I am 

 pleased to say, however, that we observed Bell-birds at Grass Cove, on Arapawa Island, which 

 forms the eastern side of the Sound. We got up at about 3.30 a.m., and heard the birds tolling 

 loudly. The singing was magnificent, and the still morning air fairly throbbed with it. The 

 settlers' explanation of why none of these birds are found on the mainland is that the stoats 

 and weasels have destroyed them, whereas there are, as yet, none of these vermin on the 

 Arapawa Island." 



Okder PASSERIFOEMES.l 



[Family MELIPHAGIDJE. 



AN THORN IS MELANOCEPHALA. 



(CHATHAM-ISLAND BELL-BIED.) 



Anthornis melanocephala, Gray ; Buller, Birds of New Zealand, vol. i., p. 92. 



I have been fortunate enough to obtain some beautiful examples of this species from 

 the Chatham Islands ; but, according to all accounts, the bird is very nearly extinct there. 



As far back as 1896, the late Mr. Hawkins wrote to me : " This bird, too, has very nearly 

 disappeared. I have no difficulty in selling the skins for £1 a-piece ; so I have sought dili- 

 gently for them, but it is very difficult to get any of them now." 



In the Colonial Museum there is a specimen of the nest from the Chatham Islands. 

 It is a peculiar structure, being perfectly round or cup-shaped, with a very wide and deep 

 cavity. It measures about five inches in diameter and is almost entirely composed of dry 

 grass leaves intermixed with wiry stems. The cavity, which is about two and a half inches 

 deep, is lined with sheeps' wool and a few feathers. 



In the Canterbury Museum there is a nest, assigned to this species, which is very 

 different in appearance to that described above. It is composed of fine wiry twigs and 

 grass stems, loosely put together, with a capacious cup, carefully lined with grass leaves. 



m*mm 



