The Honey-eaters: The Stitch-bird 
141 
brownish-white. Eye black. Female and young, brown with 
a white band on the wings. A few touches of white on the 
head of the female take the place of the tufts of the male. 
Bill brownish-black; toes pale brown. Total length 8 in., of 
which the tail is 3 in. 
Eggs. —Four; delicate Avhite, sometimes flushed with pink; 
reddish-brown spots at larger end; sometimes only a few 
blotches, or fine hair-lines; rarely pure white unmarked. 
Length, about 1 in., breadth, f in. 
Habits .—The stitch-bird is peculiar to the North Island, and 
is another of the very rare birds of New Zealand. I have 
not heard its notes, nor have I seen the living bird. 
A. Reischek writes (Tr. Vol. 18, 1886, p. 86) :—“They appear 
always on the move, carrying their heads proudly, their wings 
drooped, and their tails spread and raised; and, at each suc¬ 
cessive movement, they utter that peculiar whistle from which 
the natives have named them ‘tiora.’ The female has a dif¬ 
ferent note, sounding like Gac, tac, tac , ’ repeated several 
times.” Reischek’s observations were carried out on the Little 
Barrier Island, before it was proclaimed a sanctuary; and 
Buller wrote (Tr. Vol. 21, 1892, pp. 77-8) : “That indefatigable 
collector, Mr. A. Reischek, spent a considerable time on the 
Little Barrier, and shot a number of specimens for local and 
foreign museums, but I was assured by him that he did not 
destroy them all; and I do not think any collector has visited 
the island since his time. There is therefore just a chance of 
saving the species by timely intervention.” This report 
evidently seemed to do no more than make an opportunity for 
another collector; for, in the Transactions of the New Zealand 
Institute of the following year, Buller writes (p. 58) : An 
Auckland collector has recently been on a visit to the Little 
Barrier Island for the purpose of getting specimens of this rare 
bird, several of which were obtained. This is the last refuge of 
the species, and unless the strong hand of the Government is 
invoked for its protection, and that at once, the Stitch-bird 
will be lost to us for ever. Let us hope that steps will be taken 
