The Bell-bird's Song

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23719, 27 July 1940, Page 3 (Supplement)

The Bell-bird's Song

DEAR BOYS AND GIRLS,—

HAVE you ever seen a bell-bird? I hadn't until the other day when I was W a ?t!L° rUa *R " " We IJ Bta y ed holidays up in the Waitakere Ranges we would hear the lovely bell-like notes in the dear y we 0 e U "ird o s. WCre BOVer lucky enou * h these So when I caught the sound of the tiny tinkling notes floating down from the branches of a big gum tree close by the road I determined to have a glimpse of the bird whose little throat could send forth such exquisite music. It was some time before I could discover on-which branch he was sitting, and then suddenly I saw a streak of greeny brown flit across the centre of the foliage and the songster himself alighted on a bough just over my head. I had been told that bcll-birds were small, so was not very surprised to sec this little greenish bird not much bigger than a sparrow gazing down at me with tiny, beady black eyes. He was a most restless little chap, just overflowing with song. I thought how wonderful it must be to be a little bird like that, always singing, always happy and making others happy with his beautiful notes. Thev really were lovely notes, boys and girls—a medley of little silvery tunes like bells chiming or crystal streams tinkling over black stones. The song is not like that of other birds, except perhaps that of the tui, which it mimics quite often So 1 stood gazing up at the songster until he eventually hopped over on to another branch and was lost to sight in a tangle of grey-green gum leaves. Only then did I realise how long I had been standing there staring up and how t very sore and stiff my neck had become. * I N , N . And just then a cascade of liquid melody J I '» drifted down to me, so I felt that was l~j . * ample reward for all my aches and pains. / ' | Happv days and sunny ones, and love j to you all from