SONG BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 184, 30 April 1919, Page 4

SONG BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND

LECTURE BY MR JOHANNES ANDERSEN A delightful and instructive "talk" was given at the Pioneer Club, lr.st evening by Mr. Johannes Andersen lipon Nwv Zealand song birds and their music. There was a largo attendance of members, and although they had been prepared for a very interesting chat, the actual realisation far exceeded their anticipations as tliey acknowledged in tho course of their appreciative remarks at tho close of the talk'. Mr. Andersen, -who was introduced to the gathering by Lady Stout, whistled tho notes and songs of tlie birds whose characteristics lie was describing, and by doings bo several among ins audience were able to learn tho name of birds whose, songs they were so familiar with but whose names t.he.v had not hitherto known. Little' snatches of Maori legends were brought to light by some reference to the habit or noto of a bird which added yet further interest to tho lecture. In discussing his subject Mr. Andersen 'said that tho.birds sang according to our own musical scale, and he gave technical explanations and illustrations of that statement. They also recogniscd and used ([UfU'ter-tones as human beings did, and had ears for music as keen or even keener than our own. If they did not sing according to our own scale wo would at onco recogniso what we would consider ;t disharmony, nnd at once say they were singing sharp or flat, of whatever' it might be. Tho Maoris, mi'led Mr. Andersen, said that they had'taken 'their ouarter-tones from tho birds and many other things as well, as he showed later on in the course of his lecture.

A bird which was beginning to come about again at this tinio of tho. year was the fantail, and examples of its various notes were given, It was described as being a very friendly bii'd, but whether this friendliness _ were really friendliness or merely curiosity Mr. Andersen could not lie certain, Of its pugnacity, however, tlicro could be lio doubt, and Mr. Andersen told of the Maori myth which related tlio great, fight that was held between the land birds and the sea birds, 'i'lio. former, asked who was bold enough among thorn- all to carry tlio challenge of war to tho sea birds, and without delay tho fantail camo forward and announced his willingness to carry the message. . lie took it, and it was from the warlike flirtings of his tail, tlio spear-like darting of it from side to sido that, the Maoris took some oi tlio movements in their hakas. The fantail.was also said to bo'tlio cause of the death of Maui, tho groat Sun-Clod of .the Maoiis, but tho legend was. really an allegorical setting of tho. descent of the sun into darkness, the fantail being the last hird to sing before sundown. Describing the gray warbler, Mr. Andersen said that it was susceptible to civilisation,' and when living', close to human life there-was often a distinct development to bo noticed in its song. Imitations of its song and its variations werb given, and. from one of these variations in which tile notes_at the end of it descended the scale the-Maoris bad adopted tlio drop .in . tho octavo oitc.ii notieeablc <it tho end of a phrase in then songs or chants. From these birds they had also adopted their minor, tones, and m speaking ot the warbler .Mr, Andersen related a short'-legend which was associated with this bird. •• Another bird described-by-Mr.,Ander-son was the tomtit, -the lovo bird of thy Maoris, it was said by them that if a man or a woman' lost their , lover they had' only to get -the -tomtit to appear to the-faithless oi': lost one, and sing its song to them, and they would return to the .bereft one.'' . This',bird was-tumid both ..in 'tho North' and the South Is-■ "Another interesting and. very cheerful bird.whose song? were imitated was the lirowii creeper, and hero again the bird lias proved to be the, teacher of th<: Maori. One bird, will; siiv,- a few. notes when two or threo others will join in, and sing in .chorus, just as the Maoris rle unless they have been taught European ways of sinking A remarkable thing in connection with the shining cuckoo wns that, although so tiny it f.ew .over a thousand miles, coming from •Now Caledonia, across Queensland, to New Zealand. It usu illy made its appearance here, about the end of September or the beginning of October, when their special grabs were more plentiful. As the days .got. wanner they would add to their notes, and often sung in <juar-ter-tones.. The. shining cuckoo and its habits were described, and apparently the. cuckoo in this country had little to learn from its English brother in the war. of refusing to shoulder its parental responsibilities. A curious tiling about this bird, however, is. that although brought up by a foster-mother, and never seeing its own parents again, it does not learn the song of tile foster-mother,, but sings that of the cuckoo. Kqunlly.' interesting was (lie statement that when the old birds migrate the young ones do not go till at least- a month later, and they, too, make .their way to New Caledonia, with nothing to guide (hem but their instinct.. ■

Of particular interest to the gathering were Mr. Andersen's remarks and. imitations of the tui, which he. described as the chief of New Zealand birds. The brown creeper was more finished in ils singing, but the tin nad a greater variety of notes. The sweeter the song ho sung the more tlio tui loved to introduce extraordinarily hi-.rsh notes. There was simply no end to his variations; he simply annexed (hem as he went along, lie was the mocking bird of New Zealand, and probably the harsh notes which lie insisted upon introducing made his songs all the sweeter. Some of the notes had been described as being like nothing so much as the beating of rusty iron pipes, and Mr. Andersen thought that Quite the aptesfc description of them. There was no doubt but that the tui and the bell , bird "vere accomplished musicians, and lie had heard a tui and a boll bird sing a duet together high up in a totara tree. It had' not been at all complicated.. but it.was a duet beyond cuiestion.

Speaking of the bell bird, Mr. Andersen said that it was not so varied in its souks, and did not siiig.su often as the tni.' It was usually the hen bird that swiff, and only in one ease had he heard the male. Its song was most elusive and most' dilHcult to take down,. because it started on so many different notes. IU whispered fiftngs. were exquisitely beautiful. . '

At the close of his talk several questions wero asked Jlr. Andersen by members, of his audience, and n very hearty vote of thanks was accorded liini, great appreciation being expressed by Sir Robert Stout, Sir Kdwurd Gibbes, Jlrs. A, 1!. Atkinson, .Mrs. .1. J). Gray, and others. Supper brought to an end a most interesting evening.