BuLLER. — On the Ornithology of Neio Zealand. 207 



it has a good show-side. The larger of the two I procured in 

 a locahty where I had never been before, and, owing to the 

 dog being muzzled, the bird that was sitting on the egg 

 managed to escape ; and, inclement weather coming on, it was 

 impossible to get another specimen before I had to leave. In 

 the breeding season the birds never come out on the open 

 ground — in fact, they seem to be starving themselves in their 

 fear of leaving the nest or its close vicinity." 



Apteryx "buUeri, Sharpe, Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xxi., p. 224. 



There can be no doubt that there are two forms of Ai^teryx 

 inhabiting the North Island — one chestnut-brown in colour, 

 the other blackish-brown —as easily distinguishable by their 

 plumage as the Brown Woodhen and the Black Woodhen. 

 The specimen which I have the pleasure of exhibiting this 

 evening (a fine male bird) is wholly brownish-black, being the 

 darkest I have seen. This, with six others of both sexes, 

 came from the Waitara district, where, so far as I can learn, 

 all the birds are of dark colour. My specimens exhibit differ- 

 ent shades of colour, and in some of them the brown pre- 

 dominates ; but they present a very different appearance to 

 the ordinary bird, and, in addition to this distinctive feature, 

 the plumage is more wiry in structure, with stiffened points. 

 Sir James Hector was the first to call my attention, some 

 years ago, to the existence of this darker race, telegraphing to 

 me from Gisborne to examine a live pair passing through 

 Wellington on a homeward-bound ship ; but I was anxious to 

 see a good series of specimens before attempting to differen- 

 tiate it. As readily distinguishable from the typical chestnut- 

 brown Kiwi, it ought to have a name, and I think we must 

 adhere to the one imposed by Dr. Sharpe. His distinguishing 

 characters for Apteryx hulleri as compared with Apteryx 

 australis — "blackish-brown instead of a tawny tint," and 

 " the curious harsh structure of the plumage, especially of the 

 feathers of the rump and neck " — are far more applicable to 

 this bird than to the lighter and better-known form, which 

 will still retain the name of Apteryx mantelli. 



