REDOUBTABLE TUIS

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5302, 15 January 1947, Page 7

REDOUBTABLE TUIS

In the vii'gih busli flear Paraparaiimu thfe tui is mQn&rch of all he surveysj wfites a membbr of the VFove'st and Sird ..Proteetion Society." He J appears io be social to the extent that he lives' in colonies, and the community invariably comes to the aid of the ; individual. I A perfect example of this eommunity spirit was seen recen ly. Out of a clear blue sky on a summer's afternoon, the serenity of the .bush was distributed by the sereeching of a pair of magpies. Looking up, I"\saw a tui being hotly pursued by a pair of them — one on each flank. As he j swerved and dived to avoid the sharp beaks of his enemies, .he magpies j maneouvred with the speed and dexei'- J ity which is characteristic of them, in ■ an endeavour to head him off from j the bush. ' i i Then, from over the tree tops came i a pair of- tuis, followed by a do?cn j others. Their evolutions were deligh;- j ful to watch as they qnickly fanne.l j out to encircle their enemies. In a ' few moments pandemonium raged as , the natives attacked the foreigners, ! who g-ave up the uneven fight and re- : treated t-o their own preserves. !