46 
I have found the intrusive egg of the former in the nest with those of the Grey Warbler, and I 
have frequently observed the voracious young Cuckoo being attended and fed by the foster-parent, 
but I have never seen the young of these birds together. Either the parasitic egg being the first 
hatched, the others are neglected and allowed to perish, or the intruder, finding the accommodation 
insufficient, by virtue of his superior size and strength casts out the rightful occupants and usurps 
entire possession of the nest. 
Although, as already mentioned, the Grey Warbler appears to lay twice in the season ", it would 
seem that one nest serves the purpose of rearing two broods ; for, allowing that the family would 
require the attention of the old birds up to the middle of October (though piobably it would be 
later), there would not be time to build another nest before the arrival of the C uckoos to spend the 
summer with us and to deposit their eggs for incubation. I he production of double broods in this 
case would seem to be a provision of nature to enable this species to maintain its giound, seeing that 
the demands of the parasitical Cuckoos involve in many cases the loss or destruction of the legitimate 
offspring. Instead of being scarce, the Grey Warbler continues to be one of our commonest species — 
a circumstance owing, no doubt, in some measure, to its being a pensile-nest builder, and thus escaping 
the ravages of the Norway rat, the great enemy to the increase or perpetuation of our indigenous 
birds. 
The young on leaving the nest are extremely nimble and somewhat shy. For several days 
after quitting their domed cradle they remain in its vicinity, following the old birds about in a 
restless manner and emitting incessantly a scarcely audible piping note. On these occasions I 
have noticed that the birds hunt all day long in a wide circle, with the nest-home as a centre ; 
and they probably take their young family back to it at night for shelter and warmth. The nests 
of most birds, when the young have flown, are polluted and unserviceable, being easily distin- 
guishable as “ old nests ; ” but this is not the case with the nest of the species under consideration. 
The cavity or chamber is deeply lined with soft feathers ; and to keep the interior clean and pure, 
the voung birds may be seen elevating their bodies to the edge of the orifice on the side of the nest 
and ejecting the alvine discharge to some distance. Thus the nest is kept in perfect condition for 
continued use, in the manner suggested, for the rearing of a second brood. At the close of the 
breeding-season it may be observed that this bird has the shafts of the tail-feathers denuded, often 
to the extent of a quarter of an inch, the result, no doubt, of its laborious building-operations. 
I have examined a large number of their nests in various parts of the country and in almost 
every variety of situation ; and while invariably exhibiting the pensile character, they are, as a rule, 
referable to one or the other of two distinct types — the bottle-shaped nest with the porch or vestibule, 
and the pear-shaped form without the porch. This peculiarity, coupled with the significant fact that 
in some instances the eggs were pure white, in others speckled or spotted with red, led me at one time 
to suspect the. existence of two distinct but closely allied species ; and a manifest difference in the size 
of some examples tended to strengthen that view. In my 4 Essay on the Ornithology of New-Zealand ’ 
(1865) I described the two forms of nest, and proposed to distinguish the builder of the large pear- 
*' In further support of my view as to a double brood, I am glad to find room for the following valuable note received from 
Mr. J. Brough, of Nelson : — “ It may interest you to know exactly the time it takes the Grey Warbler to construct its nest. On 
November 29 I took a nest with five eggs which I had found close to my camp. On December 1 the birds commenced a fresh 
nest near the site of the old one. I watched them carefully, and will give you the result as entered every night in my diary. — 
Dee. 2. Showery day ; warblers hard at work. Dec. 3. Snow showers ; but no interruption in the work. Dec. 4 & 5. Snowing 
all day, but warblers hard at work from morning till night. Dec. 5. Fine day ; birds working diligently. Doe. 6. Another fine 
day warblers completed their nest. Dee. 8. First egg laid. Dec. 11. Another egg. Dec. 12. Third egg. Dec. 13. Fourth 
an( p hen commenced to sit. Whilst the building of the nest was proceeding, I noticed that the male bird undertook the 
chief part of the labour in collecting and carrying materials, and that the weaving of these materials together and building of the 
nest was performed almost entirely by the female.” 
