( 389 ) 



feathered, though more sparingly, which rarely persists, and then to a very small 

 extent, in the fnll-grown bird. 



The number of remiges in the wing of the adult ApUi-yx has been variously 

 stated. Parker figures eleven and thirteen remiges in .4. mfintelli ; Owen allowed 

 "nine quasi-quill-plnmes " in .1. austrnlis. These feathers, of coarse, vary in 

 numbers anil relative development. In .1. //ansti—in two specimens, at any rate — 

 I observed a curious change in position of the remiges. After the first seven or 

 eight, counting from tbe claw, the feathers ceased to lie along the edge of the 

 manns ; they moved on to its upper surface. Had there been in these birds any 

 lower coverts (of which I have seen three or four in some wings) these feathers 

 would possibly get the credit of being the true remiges. It seems to be therefore 

 difficult and unprofitable to attemirt any definite statements as to the exact number 

 of remiges in the various species of Apteryx. It is generally the case — and Parker 

 has illustrated the fact — that the distal remiges are the larger, and that they cease 

 abruptly at about the middle of the forearm. 



The utmost number of remiges that I have counted, including both large and 

 small, is fourteen, which agrees with the conditions observable in the young. The 

 species A. austraUs appeared to have the feeblest remiges, but of six examples 

 examined by me from this point of view, the largest number of strongly developed 

 remiges was five or six out of a total of thirteen or fourteen. In two others 

 the strongly developed remiges were only two or three. In the remaining two all 

 the remiges were feeble. 



On the other hand, in A. haasfi there were as many as ten or eleven strong 

 remiges in four birds, eight and nine in two others, and seven in a small bird. 

 A. oweni in this matter agrees with A. haasti ; in three individuals there were ten 

 or twelve strongly developed feathers. A. mantelli in the characters of its remiges 

 is somewhat intermediate. Seven or eight was the largest number present ; in 

 some specimens all were feeble. 



Claw of Digit. 



Professor Parker has attempted — but does not lay undue emphasis upon the 

 point — to extract specific characters from the form of the claw ujiou the wing. In 

 A. oweni he has found it to be " always soft and weak, gently curved, about 4 mm. 

 long." As far as my experience goes this is accurate, save that the length varies 

 somewhat, though not within wide limits. I do not, however, find myself able to 

 agree with what he has written concerning .1. haasti. He finds no difference from 

 the claw of ^1. oweni, save that it is sometimes smaller ; but he tjuotes Professor 

 Hutton to the effect that it may reach a length of 9 mm. In A. liaasti the claw is 

 either straight or curved ; its length varies from 6 mm. through 7, 8, and 9, to 14, 

 which was the extreme length observed by myself. In A. australis I noted rather 

 less variation in the length of the claws, which were nearly always curved ; they 

 were straight in only one individual out of six. The length varied from u to 10, 

 but the average was distinctly 7 mm. 



In A. mantelli the claw was short * (4 or n mm.) in six out of seven individuals 

 examined ; 11 mm. long in the seventh. They were curved, and I should state that 

 in no case have I allowed for the curve in measuring. In this species (" A. bulleri ) 

 Parker describes and figures a claw 18 mm. long. 



* In one individual on one side of the body the claw was double. 



