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Greymouth Evening Star, 16 March 1929, Page 8

Lovers of bird life who stay at “Te Kiteroa,” Waimate, are greatly interested in the work of the proprietor, Mr W. Napier, in taming the native moki, or bell bird (says the “Advertiser”). There are hundreds of these birds in the bush which surrounds the house, and, as a photograph shows, they have become very tame. Mr Napier commenced by placing a dummy woman in a chair, in the open, with two small cups of diluted honey at the ends of the arms of the chair, the moki, it may be explained, being very fond of honey. In due course the dummy gave place to living persons, and the molds apparently failed to distinguish the difference. In the photograph mentioned a little girl is shown seated in the chair, and there is a moki on each arm close to the cups containing the honey. Many of the molds are so tame that they will alight on the head or hands of people sitting in the gardens, and every precaution is taken not to frighten the pretty, confiding birds. Cups of diluted honey are placed in many parts of the grounds, and a good deal of time must be occupied in keeping them filled.