116 Bird- Lore
The South Island Tomtit was another hannter of the Bishop's fuchsia trees and veronica bushes. It, too, is a member of the Old World Warbler family—the Sylviidze—so its name of Tomtit is misleading. Al» though not brilliantly colored, the male is more showy than many of its carnpeers in the New Zealand busht Its head, throat and back are deep black, and its breast pale yellow. A fine white dot marks the base of the upper mandible, while conspicuous spots of the same vary the black of the wings and tail, The female is modestly clad in plain olive-gray. with white wing-bars and grayish breast, As one of these little fellows flirted about. briskly gleaning the leaves for insects, I heard its high, nervous call frequently uttererli
In company with the native birds in the Bishop’s grove, I noticed several European species which have been introduced by the colonists The European Goldfinch twittered from tree to tree, the Thrush of England called from its shady retreat, and a European Blackbird whistled as cheerin as if home were not way of? in the antipodes.
After this peep at the sylvan—life of New Zealand, I felt that I had made a number of new friends, and. on exploring the rugged mountains which hem in that austere lake of the far south. \IVakatipu, a wild re- treat in the heart of the island, I rejoiced to find them there to greet me Even in this mountainous wilderness many introduced birds had made themselves at borne. The European Goldfinch. Starling and Black- bird were abundant about the sparsely settled country back of the village of Queenstown. and California Valley Quails called blithely in the scrub manuka thickets. reminding me of home.
The South Island Tomtit. of which I caught but fleeting glimpses in the Bishop's grove, was abundant here. and so tame that I had many opportunities of observing its ways. It is a jaunty little fellow with a big head and perky manners, Now, for an instant it sits in an attitude of repose. with wings ardroop: the next minute it is all animation, the wings flirt coquettishly and the tail is held erect, Wren-fashion. A fine. squeaky callenote is frequently uttered from the fence»rail by the roadside or from a dead weed-stalk in the adjacent field. Now and then it darts into the air after an inst-ct. snapping its bill after the manner of a Fly-catcher.
Another common bird in the Lake \Vakatipu region, and, as I dis- covered later, in many other parts of New Zealand, is the little Silver? eye. It is a member of the same family as the Bellrbird—the Honey-eaters, although in superficial appearance it looks like one of our olive-green \Vireos, or Warblers The breast is gray and a white ring; encircles the eye. These little birds emigrated to New Zealand from Australia within historic times, a great bush-fire apparently having driven them out to sea. They frequent the manuka and thorn scrub. uttering an emphatic high r/Jei'ive of a Callinttte.
