The Cuckoos : The Shining Cuckoo 
165 
how long they take on their journey. Hutton states that the 
300 miles flight referred to means eleven hours continuous 
flying ; but an average of only 27 miles an hour seems a slow 
flight for a bird, considering that many swift fliers are able 
to maintain themselves all day on the wing in the natural 
course. At a like speed the journey between New Caledonia 
and New Zealand should occupy at least 36 hours. It prob¬ 
ably does not take so long, however. The American passenger 
pigeon is able to cover 1,600 miles in 24 hours (WW, pp. 214-5), 
and the shining cuckoo is probably able to cover the shorter 
distance in as short a time; or a little longer, allowing for the 
difference in the size of the birds, the pigeon being 16 inches 
long with a wing-spread of 24 inches, as against the cuckoo 
which is 7 inches long, with a wing-spread of Ilf inches. 
One of the favourite landing places is said by the Maori to be 
on the Maunganui Bluff, 25 miles south of Hokianga, towards 
the extreme north of the North Island, where the birds may be 
seen in numbers after their arrival, generally in a state of 
exhaustion. (JP, Yol. 1, 1892, pp. 181-2). Its actual arrival 
has not, however, been seen, nor has its departure, so far as 
can be learned, though a possible gathering of the long-tailed 
cuckoo has been seen, as noted later. Buller (BN Suppt., Yol. 
2 , p. 101 ) remarks, without comment,—“Dr. Ramsay states 
that this bird has been caught at sea between Lord Howe 
Island and New Zealand, doubtless whilst migrating from the 
latter to the former island.” 
On the other hand, the gathering for migration and depar¬ 
ture of the godwit has been seen and described by James 
Buckland (El). “The beach was literally covered with kuaka 
(godwit) ; they seemed to be all indiscriminately huddled 
together where there was no room for half the number, while 
thousands were hovering overhead in a vain attempt to obtain 
a footing, or were trampling on the backs of their fellows in 
the hope of ousting them from their places. During the 
afternoon flocks of kuaka kept pouring into the bay (Spirits 
Bay, near Te Reinga, at the extreme north of the North Island), 
each new lot adding to the mad unrest. At length, just 
