124 
WILKINSON, Birds of Tararuas, N.Z. [ T ut oT 
other person told me that the Black Fantail had been seen in 
that locality, I would have been a bit dubious. As far as I can 
ascertain, this must be a farthest north record for this bird. It 
belongs to the South Island, very rarely coming across Cook 
Straits. 
It has been observed occasionally in the Wellington Botanical 
Gardens, and also in the bush at the back of Days Bay, across 
the harbour from the city. 
Certhi parus albicapillus. Whitehead.—This is one of the most 
interesting and at the same time most useful birds that we have. 
It is interesting from the fact that Buller, in his Supplement, 
states that he travelled for a lon'g time before he succeeded in 
shooting a pair. He said then that they were the only ones he 
had heard of on the mainland for ten years or more. They are 
very useful to the forester, as they are purely insect feeders. 
They nearly always, except in the breeding season, hunt in 
flocks, and present a pretty picture when they are feeding, some 
on the branches, some on the leaves, and some hanging upside 
down on the moss-covered trunks of trees. 
The Popokotea, as the Maori calls him, seems to like certain 
parts of the ranges better than others. 
In some of the valleys of the Tararuas these birds are quite 
plentiful, while in others only a few miles away you may travel 
all day and only see a few Whiteheads. It is hard to say why 
this should be so, as to all appearances the bush is exactly the 
same in both places. 
These birds, when feeding in flocks, are sometimes accom¬ 
panied by Parrakeets, a fact that has puzzled many. The first 
flock of Whiteheads that I saw in the Tararuas was accom¬ 
panied by two Parrakeets ( CyanorJiamplius auriceps). The flock 
moved through the bush fairly fast, and I kept up with them as 
long as I could to find out what the Parrakeets were feeding on; 
but I was not able to do so. The Parrakeets kept up a continual 
chatter all the time they were with the flock. 
The Whitehead is a very inquisitive little bird, and any un¬ 
usual noise, especially if like a young bird in distress, will entice 
them down. I have seen them come down to within a few feet 
of a friend who lay concealed beneath the ferns blowing a 
squeaky note on a piece of tobacco tin with a hole in it. At 
that time there were numbers of other birds; six different species 
I counted, and all were in a more or less excited state. 
I have not been fortunate enough to find the nest of the White- 
head, but intend to search closely next season to find the nest 
of this bird, which that great ornithologist, Sir Walter Buller, 
thought was almost extinct, but to our great joy it has come 
back. 
Ant has novcu-zealandicc. Ground Lark or Pipit.—One of the 
few native birds that have prospered since the pakeha came to 
this country. The clearing up of the bush has given it more 
feeding grounds. This bird can be seen all over the country; 
