HUMMING-BIRDS. 201 
The Poé Bird is a native of New Zealand, where it is far from uncommon, 
and is captured by the natives for the purpose of sale. Many individuals are 
brought over to Sydney, where, according to Dr. Bennett, they are kept in 
cages, and are very amusing in their habits, being easily domesticated and 
becoming very familiar with those who belong to the household. Indepen- 
dently of its handsome and rather peculiar colour, which makes it very 
effective in a room, it possesses several other qualifications which render it a 
very desirable inhabitant of an aviary. Its native notes are very fine, the 
bird being considered a remarkably fine songster, and it also possesses the 
power of mimicking in a degree surpassing that of the common magpie or 
raven, and hardly yielding even to the famous mocking-bird himself. It 
learns to speak with great accuracy and fluency, and readily imitates any 
sound that may reach its ear, being especially successful in its reproduction 
of the song of other birds. 
While at liberty in its native land it is remarkable for its quick, restless 
activity, as it flits rapidly about the branches, pecking here and there at a 
stray insect, diving into the recesses of a newly-opened flower, and con- 
tinually uttering its shrill sharp whistle. Although one of the large group of 
Meliphagidz, or Honey-eaters, the Poé Bird feeds less upon honey than 
upon insects, which it discovers with great sharpness of vision and catches 
in a particularly adroit manner. It will also feed upon worms, and some- 
times varies its diet by fruits. 
In New Zealand it is often killed for the sake of its flesh, which is said to 
be very delicate and well flavoured. 
The general colour of the Poé Bird is a very deep metallic green, becom- 
ing black in certain lights, and having a decided bronze reflection in others. 
The back is deep brown, also with a bronze reflection, and upon the 
shoulders there is a patch of pure white. On the back of the neck the 
feathers are long and lancet shaped, each feather having a very narrow 
white streak along its centre. From each side of the neck depends a tuft of 
snowy curling downy feathers, spreading in fan-like fashion from their bases 
This creature is called the Parson Bird because these white tufts are thought 
to bear some resemblance to the absurd parallelograms of white lawn that 
are denominated “ bands.” 
HUMMING-BIRDS, OR TROCHILIDA. 
“ Bright Humming-bird of gem-like plumeletage, 
By western Indians ‘ Living Sun-beam’ named.”—BAaILey, Mystic. 
THE wonderful little HUMMING-BIRDS are only found in America and the 
adjacent islands, where they take the place of the sun-birds of the Old 
World. It is rather remarkable that, as yet, no Humming-birds have been 
discovered in Australia. 
These little winged gems are most capricious in their choice of locality, 
some being spread over a vast range of country, while others are confined. 
within the limits of a narrow belt of earth hardly more than a few hundred 
yards in width, and some refuse to roam beyond the narrow precincts of a 
single mountain. Some of these birds are furnished with comparatively short 
and feeble wings, and, in consequence, are obliged to remain in the same 
land throughout the year, while others are strong of flight, and migrate over 
numerous tracts of country. They gather most thickly in Mexico and about 
the equator, the number of species diminishing rapidly as they recede from 
the equatorial line. 
The name of Humming-birds is given to them on account of the humming 
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