THE KIWIS 267 



are the survivors of a race of birds that has ahnost 

 entirely vanished from the earth — living examples 

 of an old-time fauna long faded in the mist of 

 ages past and gone. These curious birds vary in 

 size from that of a Bantam up to that of a small 

 Turkey. They appear to have neither wings nor 

 tail, and are clothed with dense hair-like plumage ; 

 they have long Snipe-like bills, the nostrils being 

 situated almost at the tip. The nearest surviving 

 relations of the Kiwis are the Struthiones or 

 Ostriches and allied birds, but they differ from 

 these in so many important respects as to warrant 

 their separation into a distinct order. The Kiwis 

 were not known to science until the early part of 

 the present century. Their nocturnal habits will 

 undoubtedly save them longer from extinction, as 

 they are thus far less likely to fall victims to man 

 or rapacious animals. As previously remarked, 

 four species of these singular birds are recognised 

 by naturalists. The species first discovered appears 

 to have been the South Island Kiwi (Apteryx 

 australis); the second, from the same island, is 

 the Little Grey Kiwi {Apteryx oweni) ; the third 

 species is the North Island Kiwi {Apteryx 

 mantelli) ; whilst the fourth, the Large Grey Kiwi 

 {Apteryx haasti), is found in both islands. By 



