COVER PICTURE (From a Water-colour by the late Miss L. A. Daff) THE TAKAHEA (Notornis mantelli)

Forest and Bird, Issue 91, 1 February 1949, Page 2

COVER PICTURE (From a Water-colour by the late Miss L. A. Daff) THE TAKAHEA (Notornis mantelli)

“Head and throat bluish black passing into dark indigo blue on the hind neck; back, rump, verditer green; greater coverts blue margined upper tail coverts, scapulars and lesser wing coverts bronzy green, the feathers tipped with bronzy green. Foreneck, breast and sides of body indigo blue; abdomen and thighs bluish with verditer green; quills indigo blue; tail black; under tail coverts white. Bill: basal part bright red, outer part reddish pink. Feet reddish pink, claws horn colour.”

EDITORIAL NOTE.— late Mr. James Cowan, well known authority, supplied the following information in 1937:—

“Takahe,” without the final “a,” is an incorrect form of the native name of the Notornis mantelli. One bird-book compiler after another has copied the wrong spelling; none of the writers have gone to original sources-the Maoris of the far South, the last of the old learned men in Southland, bushmen and seal-hunters and bird-hunters of blended and NgatiMamoe and Ngai-Tahe, gave me much information about the Notornis mantelli and its habits and haunts. Williams’ Maori Dictionary gives both forms.

—Dr. W. R. B. OLIVER,

M.Sc.