The Honey-eaters : The Bell-bird 
157 
than from her usual ones that the bird’s name is derived. Where 
the notes are whistles, they may be produced on a piccolo, though 
the shrillness of that instrument is absent in the voice of the 
bird, and the instrument cannot sound pianissimo. Usually a 
flute or mellow bell might be employed. 
Like the tui, the bell-bird has a series of charming whisper- 
songs; and here, in definiteness of theme and artistic effect, in 
the songs I have heard the bell-bird excels the tui. It was on 
Kapiti, in 1916-17, that I first heard the whisper-song of the bell- 
8 ™ . r , 8 ™ _ 
ppp m fPPP 
8 
tlank 
tlank 
bird. The bird singing (17), which is a whisper-song in part, sat 
in sight close above me. The low note, tlok, clear and bell-like, 
was sung piano; the high notes, double pianissimo were v ocalized 
sweet-er. The phrase, repeated several times, was sung about 
three quavers to a second: it is in perfect time. In perfect time, 
too, is the phrase (18), sung two days later; and in this there 
were artistic pauses on both the dotted quavers. The phrase 
came suddenly from close beside me, and was immediately fol¬ 
lowed by the common call. The repeated phrase (19) was sung in 
the evening; it was varied constantly though sung several times 
as written; and was sung so softly as to be inaudible at times. 
The theme of (20) was also sung in the evening, and sounded 
very beautiful. It was sung in a small karaka, twenty feet 
