Sydney Porter—Notes on New Zealand Birds



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same. She snatched it back, hammered it again and passed it back,

the young one now started to drop it but the little hen was ready

and caught it before it fell to the earth. Every time he dropped it

she passed it back and immediately got into position for catching it

again by hanging head downwards underneath him until in time she

caught it almost as soon as it was level with her beak. Finally he got

it down his throat.


I never saw her mate. Evidently like some humans he thought

that domestic duties quite out of his sphere.


Bellbirds are extremely pugnacious. Even in the young ones this

instinct develops at a very early stage. The young ones around our

tent fought furiously amongst themselves especially when the female

was feeding them. Eventually other Bellbirds came around, being

attracted to the food, but they were furiously attacked and driven off

by the youngsters who seemed to think that this was solely their own

preserve.


So hard did the little mother work to rear her offspring that she

had no time for any toilet and her plumage became very frayed and

worn. I often think of her and wonder if she is still doing her best

to swell the population of Anthornis melanura on Little Barrier. If

she is, her efforts will not be in vain, for on that enchanted island the

feathered inhabitants have few enemies.


Around the caretaker’s house the birds were in hundreds and

absolutely without fear. I have never seen such tame and confiding

birds. If I lived there I should never want a bird in a cage, there

would be no need. One could watch them licking up the nectar from

fuchsia flowers within a foot or two. One could sit on the door-step

(such things are done by respectable people in New Zealand) of the

house and see within range of a few feet, Bellbirds, Tuis, Fruit Pigeons,

Parrakeets, Cuckoos and other birds with no fear of man and going

about their occupations as though one didn’t exist.


In the mornings a plate of sweetened porridge was placed outside

the door on a box and for an hour or so until it was finished there was

a continual stream of birds, sometimes there would be a dozen or so,

but usually less, for the adult males were very quarrelsome, driving off

all other birds especially the young ones. In fact so determined were



