50 NATURAL HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



to be readily dislingiiisheil liy the touch; for in the South Islaml kiwi (.1. australis) 

 the feathers of the upper parts feel soft ami vieMiiig when stroked against the 

 grain, whereas in Mantell's kiwi, from the Xorlli Island, the feathers have stiffened 

 jioints, and arc harsh and prickly to the toneh, owing to a peculiarity in the structure 

 of the shaft. 



The kiwis arc nocturnal birds, the different species having nearly identical habits, 

 and the following life history of the commonest s])eeies, A. mniilel/i, which we borrow 

 fnim Hidler's excellent account, will therefore also cover the other. 



Of a bird ke])t in captivity, he writes. It a])peai-8 to be blinded by the strong glare 

 of sunlight, and although it recovers itself in the sIkkIc, it can then otdy detect objects 

 that are near. Night is the time of its activity, and the whole nature of the Ijird then 

 undergoes a change. Coming forth from its diurnal retreat full of animation, it moves 

 about the aviary unceasingly, tapping the walls with its long, slender bill, ami ])roViing 

 the ground in search of earth-worms. The feeding of this bii'd at night with the 

 large glow-wonn is a very interesting sight. This annelid, which often attains a 

 length of twelve, and sometimes twenty inches, with a jtrojiortionate thickness, emits 

 at night a bright i)hosplu>ric light. The mucous matter which adln'res to its body 

 aitpeai-s to be charged with the phosjdiorus, and on its being disturbed or irritated, the 

 whole surf.ncc of the worm is illumined with a bright green light, sufKciently strong to 

 render adj.acent objects distinctly visible. Seizing one of these large worms in its long 

 manilibh's, the kiwi proceeds to kill it by striking it ra]iidly on the ground, or against 

 some hard object. During this operation the bird may be clearly seen under the jihos- 

 phoric light ; and the slime which attaches itself to the bill and head rendei-s these 

 parts highly ]iliosi)lioresccnt, so that, even after the luminous body itself has Ijeen 

 swallowed, the actions of the bird arc still visible. There is no longer the slow and 

 half stuiml movements of the head and neck ; but the bill is darted forward with a 

 restless activity, and travels over the surface of the ground with a continued sniffing 

 sound, as if the bird were guiiled more by scent than by sight in its search for food. 

 Of some young birds he remarks that they arc jiarticularly savage, using their feet as 

 wea))ons of offence, and manifesting their anger by an audible snap])ing of the bill; 

 at other times they emitted a ])eculiar chuckle, l)ul only once he heard tliiin ])roduce 

 the loud whistling cry which is .so familiar to the ear in the wild mountain-haunts of 

 the kiwi. They often huddled together when at rest, laying one u])on ant)ther, like 

 little pigs; and wlu'U sound asleep no amount of noise would rouse them. 



The kiwi. Dr. Buller continues, is in some measure compensated for the absence of 

 wings by its swiftness of foot. When running, it makes wide strides, and carries the 

 body in an oblique position, with the neck stretched to its full extent and inclined for- 

 wards. In the twilight it moves about cautiously, and as noiselessly as a rat, to which 

 indeed, at this time it bears some outward reseml)lance. In a (juiescent posture, the 

 body gener.nlly assumes a perfectly rotund appearance; and it sometimes, but oidy 

 rarely, sn|i))orts itself by resting the point of the bill on the ground. It often yawns 

 when disturbed in the daytime, gajiing its mandibles in a very grotesque manner. 

 The story of its striking the ground with its feet to bring the earthworms to the sur- 

 face, which appears to have gained currency among naturalists, is as fanciful as the 

 statement of a well-known author that it is cajiablc of "inflicting a dangerous blow, 

 sometimes even killing a dog." 



While hunting for its food, the bird makes a continual snifling sound through the 

 nostrils. Whether it is guided as much by touch as by smell, I cannot safely say ; but 



