126 Bird-Song : and New Zealand Song Birds 
at times it was varied as in (43). Notes of a somewhat similar 
character were also sung during the day, as in (45), where the 
notes of the common chord occur, and in (46), a very unusual 
theme, the notes of a minor chord; this was sung several times 
on the one day, 27th January, 1917, so it was evidently no mere 
accidental combination of sounds. The value of the crotchets 
in these themes is about a quarter of a second. It is often difficult 
if not impossible to say of certain notes from an unseen bird if 
they aie sung by a tui or by a bell-bird—they have so many 
notes in common. The usual notes of the bell-bird are charac¬ 
terized by their speed of utterance, corresponding with the 
vivacious movements of the bird itself. 
The day-chime of the tui at Stony Bay, Banks Peninsula, 
heard in December, 1910, was a charming phrase. The usual 
song was as in (47), the last note varying to the extent indicated, 
the whole occupying a second and a half in utterance. The 
phrase had a delightful sway and swing, and the notes were pure 
bells: it was much varied. Often, the concluding g was dropped 
an octave below the ordinary g in alt., a fact that was made 
quite evident when the ordinary g followed, as in (48)—a most 
beautiful variation. The concluding g , too, had a sound like 
gug, but was nevertheless clear and bell-like. It sounded 
curious to hear the gutturals breaking into the chime,—as though 
the bird were clearing its throat,—especially curious when the 
guttural was actually followed by the note rounding off the 
phrase as in (49). Many variations were heard on the one day, 
some less definite than others, and it is impossible to describe 
