42 Bird-Song : and New Zealand Song Birds 
when joyously flying in pursuit of the female it utters a quick 
chi-chi-chit, chi-chi-chit ; it marks its displeasure, or tries to 
intimidate intruders that approach its nest, with a low purring 
chur-r-r ; both cock and hen join in this cry of anger. When 
singing, the effort is marked by the tail being spread, the wings 
held not quite close; the feathers of the breast and back are 
not raised as in the case of the bell-bird. 
“We have called the pio-pio a philosopher; he has quite as 
good a claim as many a biped to whom that title is accorded; 
who doubts this, let him make acquaintance with the pio-pio, 
not merely a slight acquaintance, but such a one as ripens into 
intimacy. The result will be to know a bird who takes the 
world as it is, indifferent as to food; that feeds on insects 
when procurable, or can make shift on grasses, seeds, or fruits; 
that neither courts nor avoids observation; is as bold as the 
robin or tit, without their intrusive friendlessness; that, when 
in the presence of strangers, coolly pursues its occupation 
without the prying inquisitiveness of the brown-creeper, or 
the watchful distrust of the popokatea, that defends his home 
with almost the courage of the falcon or tern. 
“It seems to delight in those openings which are found in 
river-beds, between long belts of tutu and other scrub; there 
it may be observed either hopping along the ground or flutter¬ 
ing about the lower sprays of shrubs, flying out to the spits 
of sand, or drifted trees, that lie stranded in the river-bed. 
On some of the longer formed spits that are becoming clothed 
with vegetation, it searches among the berry acaena, snips off 
the fruit stalks of moss, picking the seed of some trailing 
Veronica. Its progress on the ground is usually deliberate, 
it hops with both feet together, a slight flutter of the wings, 
and a flirt of the tail accompanying each motion; when 
approached too closely, it leaves its perch, always descending 
at first, as though safer when near or on the ground; if it 
would rise on the wing, a momentum is gained by a succession 
of hops. In some of its habits one is reminded much of the 
wattle-bird [crow] ; its usual associates, at any rate during 
the summer months, are tuis, parroquets, and robins. 
