159 
The Honey-eaters : The BelTbird 
there were other phrases as regular in time, and perfect in form, 
and delightful in melody. The notes were mellow though 
highly pitched, occasionally broadening to a bell-sound. There 
appeared to be no listening bird near at hand, and whilst birds 
have a far keener sense of hearing than human beings, from 
what I have heard I am convinced that they often sing for their 
own gratification. 
The whole of the foregoing bell-bird notes and songs were 
sung by female birds. I have heard the male bird sing on two 
occasions only. On 30th December, 1912, I heard the phrase 
(24) sung by a male bird. The notes were clearly vocalized 
aorr 
8"? 
f#=l 
*— 
_ 
*— 
Nr- 
*=±i 
—# 
— 
_—0 
tvink tyunktyunktyunkturr 
26 
_ - - - - 
iubr~* 
s 
. 
fc - 
fc--— 
k- 
See 
=ti 
LilJ 
ty»p tyup tyup err 
tlink think flunk tlur, without breathing on the k. When the 
vowel or open part of the note sounded—that is, I take it, when 
aperture had been formed,—there was a distinct clear bell-note, 
this note giving the pitch. The consonantal sounds were 
evidently, so to speak, the gearing up and slackening of the 
vocal organs for the emission of the bell-note. On most occasions 
when the bird sang, the first two notes only were sounded; often 
the first four; and at times the whole phrase, ending with the 
vibrato trrr. This last note was most entrancing in effect; it 
sounded like a bell struck very rapidly and softly with a muffled 
hammer, and its quality was extraordinarily sweet and plaintive, 
the impression being given that the bird, suffering from some 
human heartache, was on the point of tears. At times the place 
of this note was taken by a slurred note without bell-sound; a 
