ivri:.T/;;;:jA ■:■> -r-r-.\ i 65 , vv > rVi r; rr ,.« , . n 



as if ashamed of the sorry condition it presented ; and as the new tail began to show itself 

 the bird regained its wonted sprightfulness. I know nothing of the history of the bird before 

 it came to me, or whether it, was , brought up from thev nest or, not, but I was often inclined 

 to think that, as a caged bird, it had been exercising some natural power of mimicry. 



Mr. Brough, in one of his letters, says: " During my last trip into the ranges [Nelson 

 district] we had twenty-six wet days in January, and for the whole time it was mostly 

 wet with no sunshine. I saw a few Orange-wattled Crows and a few Thrushes, and I often 

 heard the note of the Kakapo, but I did not get any." 



Mr. Jennings states that this bird is still to be met with in the woods at Catlin's 

 Eiver, in the Otago district, but believes that it will soon disappear altogether. 



Mr. Eoberts, when surveying in the wooded, districts on the West Coast several times 

 met ! witri' the ; riest of this ■ species-^-always very massive, and placed near' the ground. 



In 'th ; e ; Colonial < Museum there is a nest from Freshwater Basin, Milford Sound. It is 

 a fine massive nest/ about ten inches long by eight broad; rounded, and bulging at the 

 ends; composed 'almost' entirely of coarse 1 tree-moss and grass, the former preponderating, 

 with a few sMaiir twigs intermixed. The cavity ig round and shallow, measuring about six 

 inches un dia'meter,' and is Completely lined with fine grass bents, carefully arranged in a 

 circular form. r Altogether the nest is compactly built, and shows some skill in the 

 construction; — • - ; ■ >' < ' \-, \ 



1 When,' visiting the West Coast Sounds with Lord Eanfurly,* in the Government steamer 

 ' Tutanekaij' in January, 1896, our party spent a delightful day in the Bush at Milford 

 Sound. On being landed at the mouth of the river, we walked up to Lake Ada, and then 

 took i to the boats'. His Excellency, with his private secretary and A.D.C., remained on the 

 lake to fish for trout. > The Countess of Eanfurly and Miss Hozier had remained on board 

 to sketch the magnificent scenery. I, with the rest of the party, was landed at the far end 

 of the late, and we worked our way down the margin, through beautiful natural woods, dis- 

 playing a perfect glory of tree-ferns and carpeted with the lovely Todea superba. We shot 

 a good' many birds, but nothing of any special value, except that I got a good specimen of 

 CreMiSn^eiMr'eitJSj the only one I saw during the whole of our trip. We several times heard 

 the rich organ -note -of the Kokako; but could not locate the bird. The note seems to me 

 feebler than that r of the northern species (Glaucopis wilsoni), that is to say, not so full and 

 mellow. The common birds were plentiful, and we saw several Tuis chasing each other 

 and indulging in amorous* play. Either the breeding season is later here than in the North, 

 where the' young have already left the nest, or there are two broods in the season. What 

 strengthens ' the latter view is the circumstance that one of the Tuis shot (a female) was 

 very bare from incubation, as of recent date. 



* Lord. Eanfurly' was now making his first, acquaintance with the birds of New Zealand, of which, at a later date, 

 he made a, large and valuable collection for the British Museum, in which he was assisted by Professor Hutton and 

 many other, willing New Zealanders. (Cf. Ogilvie Grant, 'Ibis,' 1905, pp. 543-602.) Would that British Colonial 

 Governors in other parts of the world would follow the example, in this respect, of the Earl of Eanfurly and the late 

 Sir George Grey, for the National collection would thus be enriched, to the great benefit of science ! 



? * *— i WJJW.3I or ...a 



