210 Sydney Porter-Notes on New Zealand Birds


upon the nest and devoured it. The innocent little Ring-dove

continued to lay on in spite of the repeated robbery, and had at

length to be placed beyond the reach of her persecutor. During

the day the Piopio was unceasingly active and lively; at night

he slept on a perch resting on one leg and with the plumage

puffed out into the form of a perfectly round ball, the circular

outline broken only by the projecting extremities of the wings

and tail. Every sound seemed to attract his notice and he betrayed

an inquisitiveness of disposition which in the end proved fatal;

for having inserted his prying head through an open chink in the

partition, it was seized and torn off by a vicious Sparrow-Hawk

in the adjoining compartment of the aviary.”


Little is known of the wild life of this bird as it had almost

disappeared before there was much active interest in the New

Zealand bird-life by naturalists. It frequented the undergrowth

in the dense forests and was never seen beyond the confines of the

thick vegetation. It was of feeble flight and obtained most of its

food from the ground which consisted of insects and berries. It

was chiefly noted as a fine songster, writers stating that it was the

finest vocalist of New Zealand’s feather forms.


The South Island species, which differs very considerably from

the bird under discussion, is supposed to linger in one or two of

the very remote patches of forest which the Government have

grudgingly set aside as reserves in the southernmost part of the

South Island. I spoke to several people who knew these forest

reserves well and spent a considerable time every year in them,

but none had ever seen the <£ Piopio ” as it was called by the

Maoris, though they did see upon rare occasions the South Island

Robin (Miro australis).



(To he continued.)



