CoLENso. — On the Bill of a Huia. 141 



that this bird must have been hatched with this pecuHarly 

 aberrant upper mandible ; and, while we may reasonably sup- 

 pose the parent birds assiduously fed it for some considerable 

 time beyond the usual period of their young remaining un- 

 fledged, still, how it afterwards could have managed to exist 

 and grow up seems truly wonderful! Especially when we con- 

 sider the usual native food of the Huia, which consists of the 

 larvfE of some of our largest beetles, (e.g., PrionopLus reticularis,) 

 obtained by the bird mdustriously pecking and probing rotten 

 logs and wood, much after the manner of the common Wood- 

 pecker. Besides, from its very strange configuration, it appears 

 to have been far worse than merely useless, for it must have 

 been always an obstacle in the way, and the means of keeping 

 the bird's mouth always open. 



From the general appearance, as well as from the extreme 

 length, of this upper mandible, I should infer the bird to have 

 been an aged one ; for, according to Dr. Buller, the length of 

 the bill of the female bird is from 4 to 4^ inches ; but this 

 upper distorted and unused mandible is no less than 6 inches 

 long, while the lower one, which should correspond as to length, 

 is only 2f inches! So, here we have two patent facts: 1, 

 that the upper amorphous mandible grew continually, without 

 being worn away through use ; and, 2, that the lower one, 

 having extra and constant work to perform, was consequently 

 worn down and made defective far beyond its normal state and 

 its natural power of growth-producing horn. 



I have said that this head had belonged to a female bird : 

 this is known by the greater length of the bill of the female 

 bnxl, which is also narrower and much more curved than that 

 of the male. For, while the bill of the female ordinarily mea- 

 sures about 4:\ inches, that of the male is only 2i inches, and 

 is much more stout and strong, more wedge-shaped, and, con- 

 sequently, less curved. Indeed, so great is the difference 

 existing between the male and female birds in the form and 

 length of their bills, that formerly, and for some considerable 

 time, owing to their rarity and the scarcity of good specimens, 

 the two birds were by our first ornithologists at Home beheved 

 to constitute two distinct species, and were consequently pub- 

 lished as such. 



I have already remarked that it seems almost a mystery 

 how a bird with such a strangely deformed and all but useless 

 bill could have managed to obtam its native food, so as to 

 subsist and grow. We may, however, obtain a little light on 

 this somewhat dark subject from an interesting paper on the 

 Huia, written by Dr. Buller some 15 years ago for the Wel- 

 lington branch of this Institute, and published in the third 

 volume of their " Transactions ;" Dr. Buher having had the 

 pecuhar and almost unique advantage of observing for more 



