146 Bird-Song : and New Zealand Song Birds 
several times found green sprays of manuka amongst the inter¬ 
laced materials, a fact which disclosed a pretty good proof of 
the power of the bill in breaking off twigs from so tough a 
plant. From wall to wall across the top the nest measures 
about five inches, diameter of cavity, two inches nine lines; depth 
inside, about two inches. We fancy that the lining feathers 
are often selected in such a manner as to afford some 
evidence in their disposal and arrangement of the bird’s 
love of harmony and colour; as, for instance, we have 
noted specimens with the inner lining red, as the feathers 
used have been those of the kaka, another has been orna¬ 
mented with the bright green plumes of the parroquet; 
near our farm, where many kinds of poultry were kept' 
we have seen instances where the lining has been of black, white,' 
speckled, or buff feathers, such materials being furnished 
respectively by the black Norfolk turkey, the goose, the pin¬ 
tado, and the Cochin-China fowl. The breeding season 
extends through spring and summer, the young are fed till 
long after they are well fledged, they keep together after leaving 
the nest, we have noticed four roosting on a bough as close as 
it was possible for them to get together. The young cocks 
look very dioll when they first attempt to sing*, and reproduce 
some strange, low sounding, yet harsh squeaks. It should be 
mentioned that the bell-bird builds its nest often in much 
frequented places, we have seen it near the side of a public 
road, certainly within reach of a horseman; against a ti palm 
stem, at a gateway where there was a steady daily traffic, yet 
the young were safely reared. Certain markings on the eggs 
seem to be characteristic of certain families, as in one gully 
and its neighbourhood, those which have fine hairlike markings 
are met with, this is an indication that the korimako is local 
in its habits. 
We do not think that in this locality [Governor’s Bay, 
head of Lyttelton Harbour] there is much diminution in their 
numbers either in the gullies that have been preserved, or in 
the gardens, we must have seen more than a score of nests this 
season within the area of our small bay. In the North Island 
