Tui Makes Good Pit.

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 181, 24 March 1932, Page 4

Tui Makes Good Pit.

A lady relates that when she was a child, residing in the Whangarei district, her family owned a tui which the Maoris brought to them just before it was old enough to fiy. Her father made a big wooden cage for it, and fed it on boiled potatoes mixed with honey. When honey was not available, sugar was put in his food, and the children also gathered berries when they were in season. The tui loved a eherry on a ripe peach; he throve well and became a very handsome bird. He sang and whistled as well as any of his kiil in the hush. He would also imitate a cat or the crying of a baby. When a Maori came to the house the bird would flap its wings and make a great fuss and noise. The bird's cage was always put outside on a sunny morning, and a pie dish was a hathing pool for him; he loved it. That tui was a most loving bird, and would kiss his friends through the bars of the cage. He lived for twelve years, then dropped for a few days and died in a fit.