OF NEW ZEALAND. 
57 
hanging over the wings and tail, which give the 
bird a peculiarly plump appearance. It feeds on 
worms and small insects ; and lays seven eggs, 
spotted wdth brown, on a faint blue ground. It 
pronounces clearly, in a shrill voice, the word 
from whence it takes its name. 
Piripiri — A small bird, three inches long ; with 
brown plumage, tinged with yellow and dark 
purple. Its beak is half an inch long, and very 
slender. The outer feathers on the breast are 
white ; legs of a dark brown ; and the feet yel- 
low. It makes a sucking noise ; is easily caught 
with the hand ; builds a very compact nest at the 
tops of the Kauri-tree ; and lays four small white 
eggs, not much larger than a pea. 
Parera, or Wild Duck — These birds exactly 
resemble the common English wild-duck. They 
are of a fine flavour, and abound in all the rivers 
and lakes in New Zealand. In the Thames they 
are particularly tame, and plentiful. In almost 
every other river, north of the Thames, they are 
as remarkable for their timidity and wildness. 
Piwakawaka, or Tirakaraka — This restless 
little bird is continually on the wing, or hopping 
from twig to twig. It has a head like the bull- 
finch ; with one black and one white streak under 
the neck, coming to a point in the centre of the 
throat. Its wings are very sharp and pointed ; 
and as it hops from spray to spray, it spreads its 
tail in the form of a fan. Its plumage is black 
and white ; and its food, flies, and small leaf- 
