First he tried the bread - that was good;
then he tried the sugar - that was good also; then he tried the salt,
which he instantly rejected; and, lastly, he tried a cup of hot tea, on
which he flew away. I have seen them light on a candle (not a lighted
one) and peck the tallow. I fear, however, that these tame ones are too
often killed by the cats. The tomtit is like its English namesake in
shape, but smaller, and with a glossy black head and bright yellow
breast.
The wren is a beautiful little bird, much smaller than the English one,
and with green about its plumage.
The tui or parson-bird is a starling, and has a small tuft of white
cravat-like feathers growing from his throat. True to his starling
nature, he has a delicious voice.
We have a thrush, but it is rather rare. It is just like the English,
save that it has some red feathers in its tail.
Our teal is, if not the same as the English teal, so like it, that the
difference is not noticeable.
Our linnet is a little larger than the English, with a clear, bell-like
voice, as of a blacksmith's hammer on an anvil. Indeed, we might call
him the harmonious blacksmith.
The pigeon is larger than the English, and far handsomer. He has much
white and glossy green shot with purple about him, and is one of the
most beautiful birds I ever saw. He is very foolish, and can be noosed
with ease. Tie a string with a noose at the end of it to a long stick,
and you may put it round his neck and catch him. The kakas, too, will
let you do this, and in a few days become quite tame.
Besides these, there is an owl or two. These are heard occasionally,
but not seen. Often at night one hears a solemn cry of "More pork! more
pork! more pork!" I have heard people talk, too, of a laughing jackass
(not the Australian bird of that name), but no one has ever seen it.
Occasionally we hear rumours of the footprint of a moa, and the Nelson
surveyors found fresh foot-tracks of a bird, which were measured for
fourteen inches. Of this there can be little doubt; but since a wood
hen's foot measures four inches, and a wood hen does not stand higher
than a hen, fourteen inches is hardly long enough for the track of a
moa, the largest kind of which stood fifteen feet high. We often find
some of their bones lying in a heap upon the ground, but never a perfect
skeleton. Little heaps of their gizzard stones, too, are constantly
found. They consist of very smooth and polished flints and cornelians,
with sometimes quartz. The bird generally chose rather pretty stones.
I do not remember finding a single sandstone specimen of a moa gizzard
stone.
