406 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
The piwarauroa, (chrysococcyx lucidus, cuculus nitens,) is the 
other cuckoo, which is also a bird of passage. Its breast is 
white, the feathers being fringed with green and gold; the 
back is green, gold, and bronze; tbe feathers under the tail 
are white spotted with brown. It has a very peculiar shrill 
note. When first heard in August, its cry is feeble, kui kui 
te ora, complaining it is cold; but as the summer advances, 
and the sun becomes warm, its note changes to witi ora, witi 
ora, I am warm. There is a saying, if it continues to cry kui 
kui, it will be a cold summer; but if it sings witi ora, witi 
ora, it will be a warm season. These two birds of passage are 
said to divide the year between New Zealand and Hawaiki, 
arriving in September and leaving in March. 
Fam. Columbidce. — Keriru, kukwpa, (kuku carpopliaga, Novce 
Zeal:) the wood pigeon. This is a very fine large bird, 
the size of a duck: the upper part of the breast is green and 
gold ; the lower a pure white ; legs and bill red. It is a 
heavy flying bird, and very stupid, which makes it an easy 
prey to its enemies. If two birds are on one tree, and one 
be shot, the other seldom flies away. Its chief food is the 
fruit of the miro when in season, and then it is good eat¬ 
ing ; at other times, it feeds on wild cabbage, and in spring- 
on the young leaves of the kowai, when it is not considered 
wholesome. The natives preserve large quantities in cala¬ 
bashes, taking out the bones; these are called kuku. It is in 
season at the beginning of winter, when it becomes very fat, 
and the natives extract oil from it. There is a saying, the 
pigeon never alights on the rata tree. I have only met with 
one species of this bird. 
Fam. Tetraonidce. — Kokoreke, koutareke,koitareke, (coturnix 
Novce Zeal:) The quail is a very rare bird; it is smaller, but 
otherwise closely resembles the Australian; it is more abund¬ 
ant in the Middle Island. 
Fam. Charadridce. —The torea, (hocmatopus picatus,) a 
black sea bird with red legs and bill.* 
* The karoro, a black and white shore gull, seizes the shell fish it preys 
on, carries it up into the air, and then drops it in order to break the shell and 
obtain the food. 
