Folly of the Past

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6633, 21 August 1931, Page 2

Folly of the Past

NIGHTINGALES v. BELLBIRDS. “Lector”: “I see there has been an attempt to acclimatise the nightingale in Auckland. Do you know how far it has been successful?’' “Auctor”: “It has been reported in the papers for two years in succession now that the nightingale has been heard in Auckland. But what I cannot understand is why they should attempt to acclimatise the nightingale at all in New Zealand. You see, the attempt has been made before and failed The nightingale is a migratory bord which migrates between Southern Europe (including (South-East England) and Africa, also Persia and Arabia.” “Lestor”: “But I thought it was purely an English bird!” “Auctor”: “Oh, no, it's not. It is more cosmopolitan than that —not that that in any way detracts from its merits. What passes my comprehension is 'i hy attempts should be made to acclimatise such a bird in New Zealand when we have even finer songsters hore in two of our native birds—the bellbird and the tui. The bellbird is the finest songster, bar none, in the world, and the tui, its imitator) is the next.' ’ “Lector”: “Yes, they certainly are glorious singors.” “Auctor’’': “Have you ever heard the bollbirds chant?” “Lector”: “No.” “'Auctor”: “Then you have missed one of Nature’s finest, and, in these days, rarest experiences. I fortunately can say that I have been so privileged. It was on the Milford Track in the Arthur Canyon closo to Milford bound. It was a pouring wet day which quickly soaked you to the skin, but who minded that when the bellbirds were there in plenty to cheer us on our way! Their boll-like notes sounded repeatedly through, the forest; now we would hear one, close at hand, as a soloist, now othors in full chorus. It was something to remember all one’s days. But (the Rarest treat was when passing under a tree which spread across the track there were as many as six bellbirds singing in it, almost in unison, together, while others again were joining in closo by. Wo stood and listened spellbound to this wonderful choir .of the wildorness, so mellifluous in its cadences, so full-throated and clear in deep, rich, liquid, and trilling notes—a chant that was worthy of Paradise itself’. It was a pure delight, a chorus of choruses which only the bellbirds can sing.” “Lector”: “I envy you.'” “Auctor”: “So well you may. Revelling in the bellbirds’ song throughout the 20 miles or more of bush along the track, I had yet another experience of which I must tell you. Going down the Clinton Canyon on the Teturn journey by myself I came upon a bellbird feeding upon the berries of a small tree, shoulder-high and within an arm’s length, of me, singing in between whiles well nigh as if Ms little throat would burst in Ms sheer joy of life and his wonderful surroundings. He saw mo quite clearly. Now and again he nipped another berry, and, looking at me full in the face, sang Ms song deliriously, going up and down the full register of Ms sweetest notes. Graceful in form, Ms beautiful green plumage showing out in the finest lustre, he was a poem in himself, the gladdest expression of Nature's heart.” “Lector”: “Again I envy you.” “Auctor”: “And so I, hope will other New Zealanders. That is why I tell the story. You see, if instead of worrying about nightingales, we worried more about our two native bellbirds tho experiences which I have told you of might well be the daily experience of all New Zealanders, even round about our towns, to-day. The bellbird, when the early settlers arrived here, was common to all New Zealand, but, thanks to the destruction of the bird itself and of the native bush wherein it found its food suply, the bellbird is a rarity in many parts of New Zealand to-day, and seldom is one heard near any of the larger centres of population. So much is this the case that now they are even tailring of ‘acclimatising’ the bellbirds in the Waitakero Ranges, near Auckland! Could anything condemn more poignantly our folly in the past? But nothing will be done to remedy the position until New Zealanders as a whole bestir themselves in the interests of the native birds.”