( 382 ) 



Kiwi and inspection of an egg, the enormous size of which evidently induced Mon-i. Veireaux 

 to Ijelieve that its parent was a much larger bird than the common Kiwi) ; 1»J73, Potts in 

 Tfiins. 1(11(1 Pc'C. .\V(r Zral. Iiistif. V. V. p. 19.3. 



DESCRIPTION OF .1. J 1. 1. 1ST J. 



S (1(1. Heiul l)rownish grey, this colour being produced by the bases of the 

 feat hers being ashy grey, and the tips darker, almost blackish. Neck similar but. 

 with more or less indistinct brownish bnff bars before the tij)s of the feathers, 

 giving the neck a somewhat undulated appearance. Rest of upper surface clav- 

 ))rown with darker and lighter cross-bars, each feather being brownish grey for 

 aliDut its basal half, the interior half brownish black with two well-defined wiiilish 

 bulV bars and tlie tip light brown. Under surface much paler and greyer, the 

 transverse liars being indistinct. Bill pale yellowish horn-colour. Iris dark brown. 

 Tarsi and toes dark brown, claws dark horn-brown. Total length about Stilt mm. 

 cnlmen from base 100, lo8, 112, 115, IIT), lliJ, 120, 121 mm, from gape to tip 

 117, 125, 125, 128, 130, 130, 134, 135 mm., Metatarsus 72, 75, 70, 70 ,78, 7'.i, so, 

 80, 82 mm. Middle toe without claw .55, 50, 57, 59, 00, 01, Ol , 02, 05 mm. (Nine 

 evidently adult sexed male» in my collection measured.) 



? ad. Similar to the male, bnt considerably larger, and the colour generallv 

 somewhat richer and darker brown above. Total length abont OOD mm., cnliuen 

 from base 134, 13s, 139, 143, 144, 146, 152, 152, 150, 157, 100, 101 mm., from 

 gape to tip 144, 150, 150, 155, 158, 100, 160, 103, 164, 100, 108, 172 mm. 

 Metatarsus 80, 80, 80, 83, 87, 87, 88, 88, 89, 91, 91, 92 mm. Middle toe without 

 claw .58, 01, 02, 03, 03, 03, 0.5, 05, 08, 08, 70, 77 mm. (Twelve evidently adnlt 

 sexed /ewrt/cs measured.) One adnlt specimen measuring as above 112, 123, 82, 

 70 mm., is marked as 9, female by Sir Walter Buller, but I have no doubt is a male 

 Soon after moult the plumage is darker, but when much worn it ai>pears 

 much paler. 



Chick in first plumage very similar to the old bird, but somewhat more 

 yellowish, the lower bar on the feathers nowhere well-developed, but only faintly 

 indicated. All the feathers, chiefly at their bases, softer and more downy. 



Aberrations : I have one adnlt male with the head and chin nearly ijuite white, 

 a narrow line of white running down the foreneck and chest, and a few white 

 feathers scattered here and there on the hindneck and back. 



For the above descriptions I have examined 43 specimens at present iu my 

 collection, of which 17 are from the Heaphy Ranges, the rest without indication of 

 exact locality. 



The adult Aj/teri/r hnasti is easily distinguished from any A. oweni by its 

 very much larger size, especially the very robust and long bill and large feet. 

 The plumage differs in its brown coloration. The pale bars are much wider and 

 more distinct. Young .1. haasti as a rule are easily distinguished from A. oweni 

 by the characters of the plumage, occasionally, however, we find a young ^1. haaxti 

 which is difficult to separate from large West-coast specimens of A. oweni with 

 very distinct barring to the feathers. It is said that ^1. haasti has always dark 

 claws, but this is not constant. As a rule the claws are blackish, but I have 

 one with white and several with light brown claws, while those of .1. oweni are 

 also sometimes dark brown. 



The eggs are like those of .1. ausfralin and its subspecies. I have only 

 three, received from Sir Walter Buller. Two are evidently normal eggs of a 

 greenish white colour and measure 130 by 77, and 125 by 92 mm. The third one. 



