THE PUKEKO 
55 
NEST (See pp. 43, 46)—Builds in November or 
December. Usually 5 eggs. 
THE PUKEKO (Swamp Hen). 
SONG—A monotone screech, very loud, and last¬ 
ing two or three seconds. Repeated at short 
intervals, sometimes every minute, and continued 
until fairly late at night. The noisiest of the New 
Zealand birds. 
DESCRIPTION— Head, dull black with cherry- 
red eyes. Breast, very beautiful indigo blue. Beak, 
red. Tail, white feathers underneath. Legs, pale 
red colour. 
HABITS—Flits its tail without ceasing, . thus 
showing the white feathers. At evening twilight 
a number of them may be seen playing a kind of 
game which consists in running after one anothei, 
in and out among the raupo, wings outstretched, 
for some minutes, concluding with a wild rush and 
repeated screechings. They bend down and inter¬ 
twine the raupo leaves, one of them mounting to 
the summit to screech defiance at the rest. I his 
practice is also carried on in fields of standing corn, 
oats, etc., thus making the birds unpopular with the 
farmers. The young birds are “all blacks,” but 
very shy. The parent birds look after them until 
they are almost as big as themselves. (Cf. young 
Kiwis). 
NEST (See pp. 43, 46)—Built in September 
among the raupo not far from the water surface. 
FOOD—Soft shoots, water weeds and insects, 
also the grubs and pupae of those insects which 
lay their eggs in swamps. Sometimes when feed- 
