277 
and its peculiar whistling or sibilant note may be easily distinguished amidst the noise of the 
rushing waters ; indeed, as Mr. Travel’s has already suggested, the bird appears to have been specially 
endowed with this singular note in consequence of its frequenting such localities. A stray one is 
sometimes carried down during a freshet into the still reaches, or even to the very mouth of the 
stream, but it speedily works its way back again to its favourite mountain-haunts. It is a very tame 
or stupid bird, often remaining perfectly quiet on a projecting boulder till you approach within a few 
feet of it ; then sidling off into the water it swims into the nearest rapid and allows itself to be 
hurried down by the current. It seldom dives, and takes wing only when fired at or closely pressed ; 
but it swims with considerable rapidity, the head being carried low and inclined somewhat forward. 
It has the faculty of turning itself round in the water, and without losing ground, however rapid the 
stream, as though its body were worked on a pivot, a performance no doubt aided by the peculiar 
lengthened shape of its tail. It climbs the slippery face of the rocks with facility, assisting itself in 
the ascent by its wings, which are armed at the flexure with a hard protuberance or knob. As 
already mentioned, it utters a peculiar whistling note, from which it derives its native name. 
It is somewhat nocturnal in its habits, and seems to become more active in its movements towards 
nightfall, when it sometimes makes a comparatively long flight in its passage from one mountain- 
torrent to another. 
Some five-and-twenty years ago, in consequence of the death by drowning of the well-known 
botanist, Dr. Sinclair, I paid a visit with his nephew to the scene of this unfortunate accident, near 
the head-waters of the Rangitata, and in this secluded country I found these birds at that time so 
tame .that I could almost catch them with my hand. 
I believe this Duck is to be found at the sources of all mountain-streams, for although I never 
succeeded in getting a specimen at the far north, its name was perfectly familiar to the natives of 
that part of the country. Mr. Cheeseman, however, writes to me : — “ I have never heard of a specimen 
being obtained north of Auckland. Mr. Spencer has shot it at the head of the Kaueranga, Thames. 
Mr. E. E. M. Campbell informs me that it is plentiful at the sources of the streams forming the 
Wairoa river (discharging into Tauranga harbour), and Mr. W. T. Firth has seen it in the Wairere 
stream, near Matamata. I have noticed it in the upper part of the Waitetuna.” 
Captain Mair informs me that the Wio is plentiful in all the mountain-streams in the Urewera 
country. When marching with the native contingent in pursuit of Te Kooti, as many as forty or 
fifty were sometimes caught in the course of a day, some being taken by hand, and others knocked 
over with sticks or stones, so very tame and stupid were they. A pair which he obtained as very 
young birds at Maunga-pohatu lived in the Kaiteriria camp for two years, associating freely with the 
domestic ducks, and fairly establishing themselves in the cooking-hut. They were particularly fond 
of potato and rice, and would readily take food from the hand. Ultimately they took to the lake 
and disappeared. 
My son met with a pair at the Pokaiwhenua falls, in the Upper Waikato, in the early part of 
February. He observed that they ascended the rapids by diving under the surface. They were very 
tame, and by imitating the whistling note of the duck, or the whirring call of the drake, he was able 
to bring them within a few paces of where he stood. He met with this Duck again at Owhaoko, in 
the upper waters of the Eangitikei and Moawhango rivers. 
In the month of March I met with a pair in the turbulent rapids of the Kurupapango, in the 
Hawke’s Bay district. They appeared to fly well on being disturbed, and produced almost constantly 
a soft whistling cry, hardly distinguishable from that of the Flarrier {Circus gouldi). Their ivory- 
white bills were a very conspicuous feature, even at a distance of a hundred yards. 
Mr. Eeischek met with it in the West-Coast sounds, and shot several at night far out on the 
water, thus proving that this Duck is sometimes marine in its habits. He likewise obtained 
