78 
a matter of conjecture *. The evidence which, with Sir James Hector’s assistance, I have been able 
to collect on this subject is somewhat conflicting ; but I have myself arrived at the conclusion that the 
Silver-eye, although identical with the Australian bird, is in reality an indigenous species. The 
history of the bird, however, from a North-Island point of view is very interesting and suggestive. 
It appeared on the north side of Cook’s Strait, for the first time within the memory of the oldest 
native inhabitants, in the winter of 1856. In the early part of June of that year I first heard of its 
occurrence at Waikanae, a native settlement on the west coast, about forty miles from Wellington. 
The native mailman brought in word that a new bird had been seen, and that it was a visitor from 
some other land. A week later he brought intelligence that large flocks had appeared, and that the 
“ tau-hou ” (stranger) swarmed in the brushwood near the coast ; reporting further that they seemed 
weary after their journey, and that the natives had caught many of them alive. Simultaneously 
with this intelligence, I observed a pair of them in a garden hedge, in Wellington, and a fortnight 
later they appeared in large numbers, frequenting the gardens and shrubberies both in and aiound 
the town. They were to be seen daily in considerable flocks, hurrying forwards from tree to tree, 
and from one garden to another, with a continuous, noisy twitter. In the early morning, a flock of 
them might be seen clustering together on the topmost twigs of a leafless willow, uttering short 
plain tive°notes, and if disturbed, suddenly rising in the air and wheeling off with a confused and 
rapid twittering. When the flock had dispersed in the shrubbery, I always observed that two or 
more birds remained as sentinels or call-birds, stationed on the highest twigs, and that on the slightest 
alarm, the sharp signal-note of these watchers would instantly bring the whole fraternity together. 
The number of individuals in a flock, at that time, never exceeded forty or fifty ; but of late years 
the number has sensibly increased, it being a common thing now to see a hundred or more consorting 
together at one time. They appeared to be uneasy during, or immediately preceding, a shower of 
rain, becoming more noisy and more restless in their movements. They proclaimed themselves a 
blessing by preying on and arresting the progress of that noxious aphis known as “ American blight ” 
(Schizoneura lanigera). They remained with us for three months, and then departed as suddenly as 
they had come. They left before the orchard-fruits, of which they are also fond, had ripened ; and 
having proved themselves real benefactors they earned the gratitude of the settlers, while all the local 
newspapers sounded their well-deserved praises. 
During the two years that followed, the Zosterops was never heard of again in any part of the 
North Island ; but in the winter of 1858 it again crossed the strait, and appeared in Wellington and 
its environs in greater numbers than before. During the four succeeding years it regularly wintered 
with us, recrossing the strait on the approach of spring. Since the year 1862, when it commenced 
to breed with us, it has been a permanent resident in the North Island, and from that time it 
continued to advance northwards. Mr. Colenso, of Napier, reports that it was first seen at Ahuriri 
in 1862. On his journey to Te Wairoa, in that year, he saw it at Aropauanui, and found its nest 
containing four fledglings. The natives of that place told him that it was a new bird to them, they 
having first observed it there in the preceding year, 1861. The Hon. Major Atkinson, on the 
occasion of a visit, as Defence Minister, to the native tribes of the Upper Wanganui, m April 1864, 
* The substance of the above article on Zosterops was read by the author before a meeting of the Wellington Philosophical 
Society on November 12th, 1 870, and led to a discussion, in the course of which Dr. Hector made the following remarks 
- He said that on the south-west coast of Otago the bird was numerous, and there was very good evidence to show that this 
region was its native habitat. While exploring there, some years ago, he had remarked that the whole country was covered 
with forest, which extended down to the sea, and that the whole of the vegetation, both trees and shrubs, especially those near 
the sea-shore, seemed to have a coating of scaly insects, the entire bush being, in fact, covered with blight. He therefore 
thought it probable that as these birds increased from the superabundance of their particular food, they in course of time sent 
out migratory flocks, which worked their way up the coast, and at length spread over the country.’ Trans. N.-Z. Inst. 18/0, 
vol. iii. p. 79. 
