204 Bird-Song : and New Zealand Song Birds 
The Cicada 
Melampsalta cingulata the cicada tarakihi 
As the warmth of December intensifies to the heat of January 
and February, the air becomes vibrant and alive with the song 
of the tarakihi, rejoicing in the cloudless sunshine of the long 
days. This, to the Maori, is the sweetest singer of the New 
Zealand song-birds; it is their best beloved, and they call it 
‘‘the bird of Rehua,’Rehua being the lord of kindness and 
p entj. This bird Europeans call a cicada, nor do they regard 
its shrill stndulation as song; and whilst it varies "little in 
tone, it has an extraordinary rhythm, of considerable 
variation. 
d-d.d de du.du.de du.du. d. d .d . d .d .dTde du.dTde du du 
2 . 8 ™ 
d.d.d.clfp. a. du. da d . d _ d _ clip, a . du.da 
ccccerc. _ —-—- ~ 
ir7 
IM 
F 
Pin 
f= 
^ 1 
s 
s 
*"1 
> 
The themes of (1) to (3) were noted on Kapiti. The “d” of 
< ( 7^^ < 1Za ^, n ma \ a ^ times be “t’'; the vowels are short as in 
’ ^ u < an( t the faster triplets the vowel seems, to be 
oppe causing a sharper attack on each note, and it is this 
p a ack that causes the penetrating chirr. There may be 
. ? W0 ’ or more triplets, and whenever these are chirred there 
t,am of speed, the original tempo being resumed after the 
