THE NATIVE CUCKOO AND THE SUMMER BIRD,

Otago Witness, Issue 2274, 30 September 1897, Page 30

THE NATIVE CUCKOO AND THE SUMMER BIRD,

TO THE EDITOR.

Sib, — I have beeu rrading with some interest the remarks of "Dinnrois" entitled "Moas and Marsupials," which appeared in your issue of Augtut 29. He mentions that Mr Hamilton, when touohiog on our migratory birds, stated that the cuokoos, &c. satisfied their migratory instinct by simply passing from the North Island to the South, and vice versa. I am under the impression that Mr Hamilton i* mistaken in this. It is about 33 years since I first noticed the bird th»t I know as the cuckoo — a swift- fly ing, long, slender-bodied, long-tailed bird, with light brown speckled plumage — that makes its oppe&rance in the forests of the northern patts of the South Island, ao far as X remember, as it does in the North Island, invariably on the last day or co of September or the first day or so of October.

This bird has a peculiar cry, which it alters both night and day — a prolonged l( churr." When I first noticed them in the South Island they need to appear 'in numbers — far more numerons than they do now. Tue tui has a remarkable antipathy to this bird, numbers of them chasing it when seen. About 12 yean ago I saw either the skin or a stuffed specimen, I forget wbicb, in the house ot a Maori in Hawke's Buy, and he told me the bird had been picked up on tha ocean be*ch, and that it came from the Fijta.

This was the fir/it intimation I had that the bird migrated from New Zealand altogether, but some time afterwards I had in my hands for a few minutes on'y a small woik on tbo mythology of Nevr Zealand, to the bent of my | recollection. I there read of the migratory habits of this bird (the cuckoo), and ulso of another withwhich I had long been familial' under the name of the summer bird. Thi» bird is about the size of a skylark, has a light orange or fawn-coloured breast, dotted with blackish green spots, dark bead and back, and wings of different shades of greeD, with two or three brownish bars across the wings. I It makes its appearance in New Zctvland at precisely the snme time as the former. It also occasionally utters its cry — which is a series of slow-measured whistles, finished up by a few given rapidly — at night. It is about 40 year* ago since I first observed thin bird. It was in the northern part of the South Island. It was seated on a fence, and its bright plumage attracted my notice ; but the most peculiar thing respecting it was that though the bird was full-growu two littlo grey wai biers were assiduously feeding it with grubs and caterpillars. Now, judging from the size aud shape of the grey warbler's nest — something like a small soda water bottle with the neck turned over at right aDgles — I think it wotold be imposjible for the curumer bird to deposit its egg in the nest or for a bird the sizo this was to emerge from it.

I was aware that the bird disappeared from the South Island, and until about 12 years ago I knew little of the north, bnt about 15 years ago near Liernore, on the Richmond River, N.S.W., I noticed the identical summer bird of New Zealand, my attention being called to it by its peculiar cry. This was in about the month of May, so far as I can remember. Tue Richmond River takes' its rise in and flows put of the south side of Gape Byron, the most easterly point of Australia, The forests there — cedar brushe?, as they are locally called — resemble those of New Zealand very much, though far more tropical in character, and would form a fitting resort for the New Zealand summer bird. Ai both it and the cuckoo leave New Zealand on the last day or co of March, or the first day or so of April, those that survive the pmssage across about 1100 miles of ocean can enjoy a perpetual mild summer.

It is well-known to naturalists that land birds migrate annually, and as a proof that a journey across the ocean of a thousand miles or so ie 'jot an imp issible feat, only a short time ago an account appeared in a Wellington paper of & pigeon that had been sent to Mr Seddon from Melbourne returning to its old quarters in Melbourne, having occupied about four days in the journey across the " middle waters."

Hoping I have not trespassed too much on your space with a subject that interests me— and, I hope, others, — I am, &c, C. T. 'X., Alfredtown, Wellington, September 11.

Two stowaways by the Anglian (Charl»« Fletcher and Charles Russell) were fined £3 each, in default one month's imprisonment. The accuied, who were respeotably-dresßed fellows, Skid they both bad employment in Sydney, and were carried away by accident. They had gone down to see some friends off, and being nnder the influence of drink remained too lomz in making a move shorowarda.