BuLLER. — On Apteryx maxima. , 91 



preserves, stockiiig them from time to time with all the 

 desirable species and placing them under the strictest protec- 

 tion, be carried out, then we may hope to be able to save from 

 extinction some, if not all, of these interesting forms. Failing 

 that, their final extirpation is not far distant, and the student 

 of the future will have nothing left to him but the dried speci- 

 mens in European and colonial museums, and such memoirs 

 of the indigenous species as the industry or opportunities of 

 present observers may have furnished. I have done what I 

 could, both by pen and pencil, to preserve a history of all these 

 birds, but I believe we have yet much to learn respecting 

 many, if not all, of them ; and on every account it is most 

 desirable that the birds themselves should be preserved, with, 

 as far as may be possible, their natural environment. 



Aet. IV. — Ou the large Kiwi from Stewart Island (Apteryx 



maxima) . 



By Sir Walter L. Buller, K.C.M.G., D.Sc, F.E.S. 



[Read before the Wellington PMlosopliical Society, 2Mli February, 1892.] 



At a meeting of this Society, held on the 2nd July, 1890, I ex- 

 hibited and made remarks on a large Kiwi from Stev^'art Island, 

 which I had no hesitation in referring to Apteryx maxima, 

 Jules Verreaux (see Trans., vol. xxiii., pp. 602, 603). At that 

 time, as I then stated, this was the only known example of 

 the species in any public or private collection. Since that 

 date, however, four more examples, two males and two 

 females (all from Stewart Island), have been brought to 

 Wellington, and I had favourable opportunities of examining 

 them before they were shipped alive for Europe. All these 

 birds presented the same distinguishing characters as the 

 specimen I had the pleasure of exhibiting ; so that the species 

 may now be considered w^ell established. One of the females 

 was even larger in all its proportions. This was one of a pair 

 sent to England by the " Arawa " in December last, consigned 

 to a private collector, who had already received the former 

 pair in safety. 



On the day prior to their shipment I made the following 

 descriptive notes : — 



Male. — Extreme length, following curvature of the back 

 30-5in., to end of outstretched legs 36-5in. ; bill, along the 

 ridge 5-5in., along the edge of lower mandible 5-6in. ; from 



