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PRINCIPAL FEATURES OF APTERYX. 



The Kiwis are large birds, as large as and larger than a domestic fowl. They 

 have extremely aborted wings, without flight-feathers, no rectrices, a long, slender, 

 slightly curved beak, with nostrils near tho tip. The legs are strong, covered with 

 variously-sized scutes, the metatarsus about as long as the middle toe. The bill 

 has long and numerous bristles at the base. The feathers are long, narrow, and 

 without an aftershaft. The hind toe is well developed, and has, like the other 

 three toes, a long claw. The maxillopalatines resemble those of the Cassowaries, 

 but the vomer is fused with the palatines and pterygoids. The sternum has no 

 keel ; the caeca are very large. Habits nocturnal. Food consisting of worms taken 

 out of the soil with the long bill, and occasionally various seeds and fruits. Egg 

 enormous, white, shell very thin. In captivity they can be kept without difficulty, 

 and are not susceptible to cold. The genns was created in 1813. 



1813. A/jtcri/j:, Slhiw in X,it. Misc. v. XXFV., Pis. 1057, 1058, ami text. 



In 18.37 (Swainson, Class. B. v. II. p. 436) the name was epelt A/iltniy.r, but other synonyms there 

 do nnt seem to be. In English, German, and French, the Maori word " Kiwi," or " Kiwi- 

 Kiwi," is adopted for these birds. It was apparently first introduced by Lesson in 1828. Other 

 native names .are " Kiwi-parure " on the North Lsland, ''Tokneka ' for .ljitir!/.r (iiis(rati.i, 

 " Kiwi-pukupuku" for Aiilcri/.r nuvni, " Roaroa," "Roa," or " Kiwi-karurai " for Apteryx 

 luKiiti. The more rufous v,ariety of Aplfri/jc tiiislnil/s innidelli is called " Kiwi-kura." In 

 Germany the name " Schnepfenstrauss " is sometimes used for the Kiwi. 



For accounts of the genns the following articles may be consulted : 



1876. Rowley in Oni. Mis,:, v. I. pp. 1—26, Pis. I.— VI. (4 species) ; 1888, Buller, B. New Zmlaml, 

 2nd Edition, v. II. pp. 308-332, Pis. XL VII. XLVIII (4 species). 



1882. Reichenow, Vog. Znoh Gaii. v. I. p. 6. 



1893. A. Newton, Did. B. pt. 2, pp. 493-7 (3 species and a "supposed fourth species A. 

 haasti "). 



1893. W. Rothschild in Bull. B. 0. Club. v. I. (No. X,), pp. XLIX— LXII. (5 species, one sub- 

 species) ; 1895, Salvadori, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. v. XXVII. pp. l')03-12 (6 species). 



For anatomy, see, in addition to the places indicated nnder the head of the 

 various places : 



1838, 1842, 1846, 1870. Owen in P. Zonl. Soc. Land. ; id. in Trans. Zool. Sue. Land., vols. II. 

 UI. VII. ; 1888, T. J. Parker in Proc. if. Soc. v. XLIII. pp. 391-97 (6 cuts) ; id. I.e. 

 pp. 482-7 (7 cuts) ; id. 1890 in Xature, XLII. p. 16, and in Proc. R. Soc. v. XLVII. 

 pp. 454-9 ; 1882, Huxley in Proc. Zool. Soc. Loud. ; 1885, Beddard in Proc. Zool. Soc. 

 Loml. p. 188; 1891, T. J. Parker in X,:id Zeal. Jouni. Science {2), I. pp. 2-9, 66-8; 1888, 

 Fiirbringer, I'lilers. -. .Morjjh. d. Viigel, v. II. pp. 1436, 1467, 1567; 1893, Gadow, Bronn's 

 Klasien u. Ortln. VI. 4, Vogel II. {Si/stem. Theil), p. 104. 



Oological characters : 



1860. Des Murs, Truile gincr. Ouloijie urn. p. 304 ; 1872, Hutton in VV«;i.<. and Proc. Xm- Zeal. 

 Inst. V. IV. p. 166, PI. IX. ; 1871, Nathusius in Zeiischr. loiss. Zool. pp. 330-55, ff. ; id. in 

 Joimt.f. Orn. 1871, p. 251 ; 1894, Schalow in Journ.f. Urn pp. 2, 27. 



1. Apteryx australis Shaw. 



l/w Striated Sotith-Islaml Kiwi. 



1813. Aptery.c amlralis, Shaw in Shaic <£• Xodder's Nat. .Misc. v. XXIV. Pis. 1057, 1058, and 



text ; 1820 (Oct.), Temminck, Man. d'Orn. 2nd. ed. v. I. p. CXIV. 

 1826. J. F. Stephens in Shaw's Gen. Zool. v. XIII. 1, p. 71 ; 1826, Ranzani, Klem. di Zool. v. 



ni. 9, p. 295 ; 1828, Lesson, Man. dOrn. v. II. p. 21 1 ; 1828, Lesson in Voy. Coquille, Zool. I. 



2, p. 418 (" Apterix ") (also footnote) ; 1829, Cuvier, Higne An. 2nd ed. I. p. 498 (note) ; 1831, 



