304 Zoological Society, 



They build no nest, but simply scrape a slight hollow amongst 

 the dry dust formed of decayed wood. The young were of dif- 

 ferent ages, some being nearly fully fledged, and others covered only 

 with down. The egg is white and about the size of a pigeon's. 



The cry of the Kakapo is a hoarse croak, varied occasionally by a 

 discordant shriek when irritated or hungry. The Maories say that 

 during winter they assemble together in large numbers in caves, and 

 at the times of meeting, and, again before dispersing to their summer 

 haunts, that the noise they make is perfectly deafening. 



A good many young ones were brought on board the ship alive. 

 Most of them died a few days afterwards, probably from want of 

 sufficient care ; some died after being kept a month or two, and the 

 legs of others became deformed after they had been a few weeks in 

 captivity. The cause of the deformity was supposed to be the want 

 of proper food, and too close confinement. They were fed chiefly on 

 soaked bread, oatmeal and water, and boiled potatoes. When let 

 loose in a garden they would eat lettuces, cabbages and grass, and 

 would taste almost every green leaf that they came across. One, 

 which I brought within six hundred miles of England (when it was 

 accidentally killed), whilst at Sydney, ate eagerly of the leaves of a 

 Banksia and several species of Eucalyptus, as well as grass, appearing 

 to prefer them all to its usual diet of bread and water. It was also 

 very fond of nuts and almonds, and during the latter part of the 

 homeward voyage lived almost entirely on Brazilian ground-nuts. 



On several occasions the bird took sullen fits, during which it 

 would eat nothing for two or three days at a time, screaming and 

 defending itself with its beak when any one attempted to touch it. 

 It was at all times of an uncertain temper, sometimes biting severely 

 when such a thing was least expected. It appeared to be always in 

 the best humour when first taken out of its box in the morning, 

 hooking on eagerly with its upper mandible to the finger held down 

 to lift it out. As soon as it was placed on the deck it would attack 

 the first object which attracted its attention — sometimes the leg of 

 my trowsers, sometimes a slipper or a boot. Of the latter it was 

 particularly fond : it would nestle down upon it, flapping its wings 

 and showing every symptom of pleasure. It would then get up, rub 

 against it with its sides, and roll upon it on its back, striking out 

 with its feet whilst in this position. 



One of these birds, sent on shore by Capt. Stokes to the care of 

 Major Murray of the €5th Regiment at Wellington, was allowed to 

 run about his garden, where it was fond of the society of the chil- 

 dren, following them like a dog wherever they went. 



Nearly all the adult Kakapos which I skinned were exceedingly 

 fat, having a thick layer of oily fat or blubber on the breast which it 

 was very difficult to separate from the skin. Their stomachs con- 

 tained a pale green, sometimes almost white, homogeneous mass, 

 without any trace of fibre in it. 



There can be little doubt but that their food consists partly of 

 roots (their beaks are usually more or less covered with indurated 

 mud), and partly of the leaves and tender shoots of various plants. 



