496 



KIWI 



belong to the newly described A. mantelli, and some careful observa- 

 tions on its habits in captivity were published by Wolley and 

 another {Zoologist, pp. 3409, 3605).^ Subsequently the Society 

 has received several other live examples of this form, besides one of 

 the real A. australis (Froc. 1872, p. 861), some of A. oweni, and one 

 of a supposed fourth species, A. haasti, characterized in 1871 by the 

 late Mr. Potts {Ibis, 1872, p. 35 ; Trans. K Zeal. Inst. iv. p. 204, 

 V. p. 195).- 



The Kiwis form a group of the Subclass Ratit.^, to which the 

 rank of an Order has been fitly assigned, as they differ in many 

 important particulars from any of the other existing forms of Ratite 

 birds. The most obvious feature the Apteri/ges afford is the pres- 

 ence of a back toe, while the extremely aborted condition of the 

 wings, the position of the nostrils — almost at the tip of the bill — 

 and the absence of an aftershaft in the feathers, are characters 

 nearly as manifest, and others not less determinative though more 



Head of Aptervx. (From BuUer.) 



recondite will be found on examination. The Kiwis are peculiar 

 to New Zealand, and it is believed that A. mantelli is the repre- 

 sentative in the North Island of the southern A. australis, both 

 being of a dark reddish-brown, longitudinally striped with light 

 yellowish-brown, Avhile A. oweni, of a light greyish brown trans- 

 versely barred with black, is said to occur in both islands. About 

 the size of a large domestic Fowl, they are birds of nocturnal 

 habit, sleeping, or at least inactive, by day, feeding mostly on earth- 

 worms, but occasionally swallowing berries, though in captivity 

 they will eat flesh suitably minced. Sir W. Buller writes [B. Neio 

 Zeal. p. 3G2 ; ed. 2, ii. p. 313) : — 



^ This bh'd in 1859 laid an egg, and afterwards continued to lay one or two more 

 every year. In 1865 a male of tlie same species was introduced, but though a 

 strong disposition to breed was shewn on the part of both, and the eggs, after 

 the custom of the Puititm, were incubated by him, no progeny M'as hatched {Proc. 

 Zool. Soc. 1868, p. 329). 



^ A fine series of figures of all these supposed species is given by Rowley 

 {Oim. Misccll. i. pis. 1-6). Some others, as A. maxima (from Stewart Island), 

 A. haasti, A. mollis and A. fusca, have also been indicated, but proof of their 

 validity has yet to be adduced. 



