86 
narrow streak of white, which extends downwards from the angles of the mouth, fading off in a line with 
the ear-coverts. Upper parts dull olivaceous ; throat, hreast, and underparts generally yellowish brown, 
strongly tinged with olive ; quills and tail-feathers dusky black, margined on their outer webs with oliva- 
ceous ; linings of wings, vent, and under tail-coverts fulvous white, washed with yellow. 
Young male. Plumage lighter than in the adult bird, with a narrow indistinct line of yellowish white from the 
angles of the mouth. 
Nestling. Plumage fluffy and colours dull. The membrane at the corners of the mouth strongly developed and 
of a bright yellow colour. 
Obs. The bird described by Herr von Pelzeln [l. c .) under the name of Anthornis ruficeps was, what I had always 
contended for *, nothing hut a flower-stained example of the present species. In acknowledgment of this I 
have received the following note from my friend Dr. Pinsch, of Bremen “ You are quite right in respect 
to A. ruficeps. The red colour on the face is caused by external influences ; for my friend Von Pelzeln has 
washed the type in the Vienna Museum, and the red tinge has partially disappeared.” But, even as far 
hack as 1782, Latham mentions (l. c .) the existence of a red stain in some specimens, and ascribes it to the 
true cause, adding " this in time rubs off, and the colour of the head appears the same as the rest ot the 
plumage.” 
Varieties. On the 10th October, 1874, a partial albino was brought to the Canterbury Museum, and I had an 
opportunity of examining it in the flesh. Although I had seen probably some thousands of this species, 
this was the first instance I could remember of any departure from the normal colour, unless it were an 
occasional very slight tendency to melanism. This specimen, which is still in the collection, is a fine male 
bird with the body-plumage as in ordinary specimens, but having the whole of the quills and tail-feathers 
ashy white, the edges of the outer webs slightly tinged with yellow. The shafts of the quills are dark brown, 
those of the tail-feathers white in their greater portion, becoming brown towards the base; the bastard - 
quills and tertiary coverts are ashy white ; the large secondary coverts dark grey tipped with whitish and 
margined with dull olive ; the axillary tufts, lower part of abdomen, flanks, and under tail-coverts pale 
lemon-yellow. Irides, bill, and feet as in ordinary examples. 
Much more recently, however (in April 1885), a more perfect albino was brought to the Museum from 
Akaroa. The whole plumage is white, washed with pale yellow on the back, upper surface of wings, rump, 
and underparts, the basal portion of each feather being pale plumbeous ; under surface of wings and tail- 
feathers pale slaty grey ; hill and feet as in the normal condition. 
The praises of the Bell-bird were sung, a hundred years ago, by the illustrious navigator Cook, whose 
‘Voyages’ contain the following record : — “The ship lay at the distance of somewhat less than a 
quarter of a mile from the shore f ; and in the morning we were awakened by the singing of the 
birds : the number was incredible, and they seemed to strain their throats in emulation of each other. 
This wild melody was infinitely superior to any that we had ever heard of the same kind ; it seemed 
to be like small bells most exquisitely tuned, and perhaps the distance and the water between might 
be no small advantage to the sound.” One has but to read this early tribute to realize how great a 
loss we have suffered from the almost total disappearance of this bird from the North Island. Even 
when writing its biography for my former edition, I had to make the following discouraging 
statement : — 
This species, formerly very plentiful in every part of the country, appears to be rapidly dying 
out. Erom some districts, where a few years ago it was the commonest bird, it has now entirely 
vanished. In the Waikato it is comparatively scarce, on the East Coast it is only rarely met with, 
* Trans. New-Zealand Inst. 1868, vol. i. p. 108. 
t Queen Charlotte’s Bound. 
