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whence the popular name of the bird is derived. The female also utters this note, but not the former 
one ; and being recluse in her habits as well as silent, she is seldom seen.” 
Although only fifteen years have elapsed since the above was penned, the Hihi has become 
the rarest of our existing native birds. To show how rapidly it has disappeared, I may mention 
that after my return to the colony, in 1874, I met with it only twice — the first time in a sunny 
glade in the Forty-mile Bush, near Eketahuna, and two years later in a strip of forest at Tara- 
wera, midway between Napier and Taupo. I know of one other instance of its being seen of 
late years on the mainland. Mr. Tone, a Government Surveyor who has been working for many 
years past in the bush, and is familiar with all the native birds, met with it in February 1883 on the 
summit of one of the wooded spurs of the Tararua range, leading down into the Wairarapa valley. 
He saw the bird several times during the day, heard its note and carefully observed its habits. 
The Maoris allege that it still lingers in the Kauwhanga range, above the famous gorge of the 
Manawatu, but the report lacks confirmation. A more likely refuge is another they assign to it on 
the Island of Kapiti, where Korimako, Popokatea, and Toutouwai (all absent from the mainland) are 
still to be found. 
In 1880, the indefatigable Austrian collector, Herr Reischek, determined to visit the Little 
Barrier in quest of this bird *. He remained on the island three weeks without any sign of it. Two 
years afterwards he sent down his assistant who, after a sojourn of three months, succeeded in 
shooting a pair, but unfortunately knocked them to pieces with heavy shot. In October 1882, he 
went down again himself, determined to remain till he had secured good specimens. After five 
weeks’ continuous search, traversing every part of this rugged island and climbing over ranges some 
2000 feet above the level of the sea, he was at length rewarded by the sight of Pogonornis. A 
beautiful male bird was disporting himself in the sunlight, erecting his snow-white tufts and hopping 
about in a very excited manner. Suddenly the bird disappeared as by magic ; and the discovery 
immediately afterwards of an unfinished nest explained the singular performance he had witnessed. 
This structure was composed of small twigs, partially lined with fine native grasses, and was placed in 
a bunch of mangimangi creeper hanging from a low tree, about eight feet from the ground. Fre- 
quently after this he heard the sharp call of the male bird in the vicinity of the nest and at length, 
on November 8, succeeded in shooting both male and female. ILe had now discovered that the 
favourite haunt of the Stitch-bird was a deep ravine near the top of the range, where the rocks 
formed steep precipices and the low scrub was covered over with a mass of creeping mangimangi so 
rank and thick in its growth as to be almost impenetrable. Some idea of the inaccessible nature of 
the place may be gathered from the fact that it took Reischek two whole days tramping, climbing, 
and scaling precipices to get back to his landing-place ; but he had visited the last home of the Hihi 
and had obtained, besides several specimens of the male bird, a female in perfect plumage. 
The nature of the ground often prevented his using his gun, even with dust-shot, but he was 
able to make some interesting observations on the habits of the bird. 
He often observed it using its brush tongue among the wild flowers, and in the stomachs of 
those he skinned he found some minute seeds as well as insect-remains. 
On one occasion he noticed a female performing very singular antics, hopping round and round 
within a restricted circle, with her wings drooped and the tail slightly elevated. She kept up this 
* Mr. Keischek has communicated to the New-Zealand Institute (Trans, vol. xviii. pp. 84, 87) a short account of his expedition 
in search of Pogonornis cincta; hut I prefer to give, in my own words, the more detailed information obtained from him immedi- 
ately after his return. On the general habits of this species he says : — “ I have only once seen these birds sitting still and that 
was near the nest. They appear always on the move, carrying their heads proudly, their wings drooped, and their tails spread 
and raised; and, at each successive movement, they utter that peculiar whistle from which the natives have named them Tiora. 
The female has a different note, sounding like toe, toe, toe, repeated several times.” 
