APPENDIX. 539 



and equally so that no law for the preservation of such 

 mteresting objects has been instituted. 



Sp. 12. STRIGOPS HABROPTILUS, G. B. Gray. 



Kakapo. 

 Strigops habropiilus, Gray, Gen. of Birds, vol. ii. p. 437. pi. cv. 



Strigops habroptilus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol.. Supplement, 



Pl. 



Long before 1845, when a skin of this extraordinary Parrot 

 was for the first time sent to Europe, we had conclusive evi- 

 dence of the existence of the species, from the circumstance 

 of plumes made of its feathers being worn by the Maories. It 

 is somewhat strange, however, that such a lengthened period 

 should have elapsed after the discovery and possession of New 

 Zealand before so singular a bird should have found its way 

 to Europe. At no very distant date it doubtless inhabited 

 alike all the islands of the New Zealand group ; but it pro- 

 bably no longer exists in the northern island, its extirpa- 

 tion thence being doubtless attributable to a variety of 

 causes : it is that portion of the country in which the natives 

 have chiefly resided, and the introduction since the visit of 

 the celebrated navigator Cook, of the Pig, the Dog, the Cat, 

 and that universal pest the brown or Norway Rat, has doubt- 

 less tended greatly to produce such a result ; for these animals 

 having now become wild, we may reasonably infer that they 

 have played no inconsiderable part in the destruction, not 

 only of this comparatively helpless bird, but of many others ; 

 the time is probably not far distant when these marauders 

 will obtain a footing in the middle and southern islands, 

 the result of which may be anticipated by what has already 

 occurred. 



The first published account of this singular bird is that 

 given by Dr. Lyall, R.N.,in the Proceedings of the Zoological 

 Society of London for 1852, which I here transcribe : — 



" Although the Kakapo is said to be still found occasionally 



