145 
The Honey-eaters : The Bell-bird 
reddish-brown head (Anthornis ruficeps ), and in this way it 
doubtless happened; the viscidity of the flax-honey causing it 
to adhere to the head feathers of the bird, fixed thereon an 
ample supply of the pollen of the flower as the korimako flut¬ 
tered from plant to plant gathering its luscious meal. Thus 
New Zealand possessed during some of the spring and summer 
months, a red fronted bell-bird, which shortly after vanished 
only to reappear in the following spring; we have often seen 
the tui thus temporarily decked out with painted plumage. So 
in like manner we have noticed early in the month of August, 
korimakos with the head feathers coloured with bright 
lavender-blue, and have traced this gay marking as due to the 
numerous visits paid to the freshly opened blossoms of the 
native fuchsia (Fuchsia excorticata ). 
‘‘To the practised ear and eye the sexes are readily distin¬ 
guishable, the female is less than the male, duller in colour, with 
a thin whitish streak slightly curving downwards from the 
angle of the gape. The note or brief song of the hen is 
altogether different from that of the cock bird. Both sexes 
are vigilant, and when disturbed or scared give an alarm call 
which quickly gathers together many of their fellows, who 
one and all repeat the chattering cry of warning, and often 
thus point out the whereabouts of a lurking cat on predatory 
raid intent ; their discovery of the presence of an owl or some 
strange bird is also thus made known. The bell-bird is usually 
found not far from water, that may be from the finest kononi 
trees [fuchsia] that yield a favourite food, often occupying 
the lower part of a ravine, nearest the edges of creeks. 
“In the busy breeding season both sexes work at nest 
building; placed at no great elevation from the ground, the 
structure may be found in a variety of positions, but we have 
noticed it very frequently beneath a sheltering canopy of bush 
lawyer ( Rubus ), near the top of some moderate sized shrub or 
bush; very often under a thatch of the persistent leaves of the 
ti palm that hung adown the tall stem. It is rather flat, loosely 
yet strongly built of sprays, grass, moss, etc., well lined with 
feathers; on examining the foundation of a nest, we have 
