By far the most attractive part of the New Zealand fauna is the birds, which include some of the most beautiful species of the feathered tribe. Of these the following are among the most remarkable:—
Hihipopokero.—Turdus albifrons. A small brown bird with a white head.
Hioi.—Ptilocinctatis. A ground-lark, very common on the plains of the interior of North Island.
Huia.—Genus Melliphagus. A black bird, about the size of a jay; it has two little fleshy lappets under the beak: its tail feathers, tipped with white, are much prized by the Maories as ornaments for the hair.
Kahu.—Falcon harpe. A large hawk.
Kaiaia.—A sparrow-hawk.
Kaka.—Nestor, meridionalis. A largo greenish-brown parrot. The author found this bird to be very common in the forests of the Whanganui, where its harsh note was the first sound to break the morning stillness. This family of parrots is characterized by an aquiline or overlapping beak.
Kakapo.—Strigaps habroptilus. A ground-parrot; colour, green and yellow; it does not fly, although it has wings, but hops from branch to branch; it is nocturnal in its habits.
Kakariki.—Platycerus Novæ Zealandiæ. A pretty, green parrot.