340 BIRDS OF TPIE BRITISH EMPIRE. 



wards the under tail coverts : the wings are light slate 

 bine ; the outermost great wing coverts are white, and the 

 outer primaries edged witli black ; the legs and feet 

 are blackish brown : the eyes are blue grey, but the orbits 

 are red. 



The Dominican Gull has a dull yellow bill, of which 

 the tip of the lower mandible is red ; the head, neck, under 

 parts, and tail, are white, tinged with blue grey, which 

 deepens to the latter part ; and the wings are black ; 

 coverts and primaries boldly tipped with white ; legs and 

 feet dull blue grey. It is a rather large bird, measuring 

 about 32 inches in length. 



APTEllYX. 



We now come to a family or group of birds peculiar, as 

 far as known, to the New Zealand group of birds, namely 

 the Apteryxes, of which several species have been 

 differentiated, while the remains of several colossal 

 members have been discovered in different parts of the 

 islands. 



Fam il y — Aptcrygidiv. 



Genus — Apteryx. A. ausiralis. Keewee. 



A. niantclli. Mantell's Apteryx 



A. oiveni. Owen's Apteryx. 



A. Jiasti. Haast's Apteryx. 



In all these birds the wing is in a merely rudimentary 

 condition, hence the name apteryx, which signifies wingless. 

 They are all nocturnal in their habits, and feed principally 



