BuLLER. — On the Ornithology of Neio Zealand. 37 



the dog in, and it would always turn out to be a male. The 

 male is generally ready to answer, especially if it does not 

 happen to know where its mate is, but the female is more 

 independent, and often takes no notice whatever of the call. 

 With this bird the ordinary relationship between the sexes 

 appears to be reversed ; for instance, it is the female that 

 undertakes the defence of the house and home, for the male 

 gives in after a very slight struggle ; but the male is the faster 

 runner of the two. After the young is big enough to follow 

 its parents the male (not the female) seems to take special 

 charge of it. The male has a high shrill cry ; the female 

 utters a low hoarse note — between a cry and a hiss. In one 

 case I heard the male uttering the cackling noise — like a hen 

 with chicks — but that may be common to both sexes. 

 Although a nocturnal bird, its sight is weak even at night, for 

 I have seen them running against objects that could easily be 

 avoided ; but their hearing and sense of smell are very acute. 

 By going against the wind I have got to within 10 ft. of them 

 and seen them feeding. They do not confine themselves to 

 worms, but will also take any kind of vegetable matter avail- 

 able — for example, the young shoots of a very common alpine 

 orchid. I have found three different kinds of seed and a 

 small white berry (of which I have not yet seen the plant) 

 in the stomachs of those I have opened. Enclosed you will 

 find some of the seeds on which the Kiwis subsist. I do not 

 understand how they can find any nourishment without crack- 

 ing the seeds, but the fact remains that they do, for I have 

 found these seeds in the stomachs of several that I have 

 opened. The grass producing this seed grows in great 

 abundance up to a level of 2,000 ft. above the sea." The seeds 

 sent are those of Gahnia j^rocera ; they are red- coloured, and 

 of the size of small wheat.''' 



Apteryx o^weni, Gould. (The Grey Kiwi.) 



The cry of this species is very much weaker than that of 

 Apteryx laioryi, described above. x\s with that species, how- 

 ever, the sexes cry together — the cry of the male resembling 

 the shrill cry of the Woodhen, although not so loud, and that 

 of the female being a husky screech. 



* Since the above was written I tiave received another egg of this 

 species from Stewart Island. It is of large size, measuring 525 in. in 

 length by 3"2m. in breadth. It is of a regular ovoido-elliptical shape, 

 and the shell is of a clear greenish-white. It is similar to those described 

 by me on a former occasion, and is readily distinguishable from the egg of 

 Apteryx mantelli. 



