189 NATURAL HISTORY NOTES IN NEW ZEALAND, 
The three latter being confined to the South Island, I believe. 
At different periods I had two live specimens of Australis in 
captivity, but I was unable to keep them alive. One indeed escaped. 
My captives were about the size of game pullets, and clothed ina 
covering of coarse grey feathers—if feathers they could be called— 
and a somewhat downy covering underneath. The legs are extremely 
strong, and no doubt assisted my bird to escape from a strong case. 
The head is well balanced upon a strong body, and is furnished with 
a long, sensitive, straight beak, the nostrils being at the extreme tip. 
The eyes are large and prominent, the tail completely wanting. But 
the wings, where are they? By a careful investigation one may 
discover a rudimentary appendage of no apparent use. The eggs are 
large and out of all proportion to the size of the bird. Altogether 
the Apteryx (or Kiwi) is an anomalous looking creature—a caricature 
or scarecrow, which might frighten other birds away. Indeed, he is 
a recluse, living in the densest bush, and for several years I did not 
see one; but in the forest gully, behind my house, I heard for many 
months the peculiar whistling note of an Apteryx, “ tiring its echoes 
with unwearied cries” for the mate which never responded. That 
bird I always thought was my escaped Kiwi—the last of its kind in 
the N. Marlboro’ bush—a sad remnant of the once numerous species 
—victims, in all probability, to stoats and weasels. 
The North Island Kiwi (mMaAnTELLI) appears to be almost 
identical except in colour, which is darker. 
But the large grey Kiwi, or Apteryx Haastii, differs from both, 
I have never seen a live specimen, but Mr. Henry, the ranger of 
Resolution Island, whose observations I have before quoted, has, in 
in a report to the New Zealand Government, given most interesting 
details. He says: “‘ We had put several pairs of Roas (that is the 
‘‘Maori name) on Parrot Island, which is only 200 acres in extent, 
“‘and went to see how they were getting on, and found one hatching 
“a fresh egg, and in the same hole was a chicken only a week or two 
=r 
