ble note of the
whee-whee (so named from the sound of its calls), chiming in at
regular intervals as the tick of a clock, warns us . . . it
is but half an hour to dawn."

<hw>Whekau</hw>, <i>n</i>. Maori name for the bird
<i>Sceloglaux albifacies</i>, Gray, a New Zealand owl,
which is there called the <i>Laughing-Jackass</i>.
See <i>Jackass</i>.

1869. J. Gould, `Birds of Australia' [Supplement]:

"<i>Sceloglaux Albifacies</i>, Wekau. Another of the strange
inhabitants of our antipodal country, New Zealand. An owl it
unquestionably is, but how widely does it differ from every
other member of its family."

1885. A. Reischek, `Transactions of New Zealand Institute,'
vol. xviii. art. xiii. p. 97:

"<i>Athene albifacies</i>, Laughing owl (whekau). Owls are
more useful than destructive, but this species I never saw in
the north or out-lying islands, and in the south it is
extremely rare, and preys mostly on rats."

1885. `Transactions of the New Zealand Institute,' vol. xviii.
p. 101:

"Already several species have disappeared from the mainland
. . . or are extremely rare, such as . . . Laughing owl
(Whekau)."

<hw>Whelk</hw>, or <hw>Native Whelk</hw>, <i>n</i>.
a marine mollusc, <i>Trochocochlea constricta</i>.
See <i>Perriwinkle</i>.

<hw>Whilpra</hw>, <i>n</i>. See quotation, and compare
the Maori word <i>Tupara</i> (q.v.)

1880. Fison and Howitt, `Kamilaroi and Kumai,' p. 211:

"The term whilpra being a corruption of wheelbarrow, which the
Lake Torrens natives have acquired from the whites as the name
for a cart or waggon."

<hw>Whio</hw>, <i>n</i>. (originally <hw>Whio-Whio</hw>),
also<hw>Wio</hw>, Maori name for the New Zealand Duck,
<i>Hymenolaemus malacorhynchus</i>, Gmell., called the
<i>Blue-Duck</i> or <i>Mountain Duck</i> of New Zealand.
See <i>Duck</i>, Professor Parker's quotation, 1889.
The bird has a whistling note. The Maori verb, <i>whio</i>,
means to whistle.

1855. Rev. R. Taylor, `Te Ika a Maui,' p. 407:

"Wio (<i>Hymenolaemus malacorhynchus</i>), the blue duck,
is found abundantly in the mountain-streams of the south part
of the North Island, and in the Middle Island. It takes its
name from its cry."

1877. W. Buller, `Transactions of New Zealand Institute,'
vol. x. art. xix. p. 199:

"Captain Mair informs me that the wio is plentiful in all the
mountain-streams in the Uriwera country. When marching with the
native contingent in pursuit of Te Kooti, as many as