FIJI-NEW ZEALAND EXPEDITION 273 
‘‘The kiwi may truthfully be said to have the longest ‘nose’ of 
any known bird, for the slit-like, ventrally placed nostrils are 
located near the tip of the six-inch, semi-cylindrical bill, a con- 
dition which prevails in no other bird. Numerous stiff, bristle- 
like feathers cover the face and base of the bill. 
‘‘The lower leg is covered with irregular, horny scales, and the 
three long, strong front toes are furnished with heavy, sharply- 
pointed claws. A small first or hind toe is also present. 
‘‘When handled, our zoological park kiwi showed resentment by 
hissing and kicking—not backward as much as forward—and with 
sufficient force to cut one’s flesh deeply. It offered no resistance 
with the formidable-looking bill. 
‘‘Kiwis are hardy, nocturnal birds which hide in holes or dark 
places during the day and come out at night to feed mainly upon 
earthworms and also, to some extent, upon vegetable material. 
‘Under natural conditions a hole in a bank or under the roots 
of a tree is chosen as a nesting site and, in a burrow, partly 
natural, partly excavated by the female, the one or perhaps two 
white eggs are laid. In proportion to its size the kiwi lays the 
largest egg of any living bird, a female twenty-five inches in length 
producing an egg five inches long and three inches broad. The 
birds will breed in captivity, the individual under discussion hav- 
ing laid eggs which, unfortunately, were destroyed before hatch- 
ing by the flood waters of the adjacent stream. 
‘*Contrary to the general rule among birds, the male ineubates 
the eggs and after a period of about six weeks the helpless young 
are hatched. They acquire strength rapidly and in a few days 
are able to join the parents in searching for food. 
‘*A very well-executed habitat group, showing one egg, three 
young and four adults of the North Island kiwi, is exhibited in 
the Auckland Institute and Museum. 
“It is to be hoped that such satisfactory protective measures 
for the kiwi may be taken by the New Zealand government that 
it will be in no danger of the fate that has befallen its even more 
remarkable precursors, the moas.’”® 
Except for man’s interference, in the way of reckless slaughter 
which has now been curtailed, and the cutting down of a great 
deal of the native bush which has resulted in a diminution of the 
5 Stoner, Dayton. A Flightless New Zealand Bird, The Scientific Monthly, 
XVII, No. 2, 182-184, 1923. 
